John and the Dragon Rider: The Aftermath
by Silent Archangel
Summary: After the war with Galbatorix was over, Master Chief is left with a wife, a kid, and a crapload of money. What will he do now? Eragon/Halo X-over.
1. Finally, a Break

John and the Dragon Rider: After the Wars

_All right, now John has two wars under his belt plus a wife and a son how will that work out? Eh, I don't know, I'll improvise. As always, enjoy._

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"Hey watch my back." John told his son with an Xbox 720 controller in both of their hands. "I don't know if you noticed, but I'm a little busy here." Six year old Matt Sierra growled as he gripped his controller. A voice rang out from the kitchen, "Play nice, you two!"

"We will mom!"

After six years and Arya is still trying to figure out how to operate a microwave oven. Hesitantly, she pushed some random buttons and pressed start. Arya sighed in relief as the small oven hummed to life. The small family was still trying to get acquainted with normal life after they have fought a war almost all their life. They now owned a small house in Los Angeles with reporters constantly trying to bang down the door for interviews or get pictures through open windows. Matt was learning and growing at a fast rate, every month he would grow at least two centimeters. Now at six years old, Matt has almost learned to speak very fluently. He was still trying to control his strength to not hurt anyone, especially bullies at school who were usually sent home with a bloody nose or a very big bruise.

Suddenly there was a very loud _'BANG!'_ Arya and John jumped at the sound. She shrieked when she saw the microwave was on fire. John rushed into the room and doused the flaming oven with water from the kitchen sink. Both of them were panting heavily as they watched their charred lunch literally go up in flames. "How about we go out for lunch today?" Arya nodded silently as she went to retrieve the car keys. When they opened the garage doors, they were greeted with a series of flashing lights as hundreds of photographers clamored to get a good picture. Luckily, John's car windows were tinted black. They literally had to drive through the crowd just to get to a restaurant. "This is just ridiculous…" John muttered. As they drove down the street, reporters in minivans gave chase; John fumed in silence as the cars pulled up beside them to get a good picture. It took all of John's self-control to keep himself from ramming his car into theirs. "Dad, why are these people following us?"

"It's their job to follow popular people and annoy them." John replied coolly.

"John, slow down, you're way past the speed limit!" Arya cried as she saw the 20 miles per hour traffic sign while John was doing 52. Suddenly, not realizing he had pulled into a lane in the wrong direction, a reporter's minivan swerved to avoid an incoming car and smashed into John's, running him off the road. John jammed on the brakes as soon as he comprehended what was happening. The small black car came to a stop. John angrily climbed out and ripped off the door of the reporter's van, revealing a frightened man with a camera and a woman with a microphone. "What the hell are you doing? Running my car off the road was a bad move." The two gave a loud yelp as they were hoisted out of the car by a pair of glowing hands. Other cameramen clambered out of their vehicles to get a good shot of the angry Master Chief. Arya rushed out of the car to stop John from doing anything he might regret. "John, they're not worth it." The Spartan's fists unclenched and the blue glowing dissipated. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer…" John growled menacingly as he climbed into his beaten up car and drove off to find a decent Burger King.

As soon as they got home, John collapsed on his couch with a loud groan. No more minivans followed them after what they had witnessed; you don't mess with the Chief's car. John almost dozed off when there was a loud knocking at the door. "Now what?" John growled in irritation. He jerked the door open to reveal a tall Sangheili, "I'm sorry, have I come at a bad time?"

"Well, you could've called." John motioned for Thel to come in.

"Uncle Thel!" Matt came running and almost tackled the elite to the ground with a bear hug. Thel chuckled and tousled the boy's hair, "You've grown since I last saw you." Arya came to greet their visitor. "Hello Thel, it's been a long time since you came to visit, how are you?" Thel smiled, "I'm doing fine, and I was told Kyle was coming too." John groaned, "Well, I've got Halo: Reach 2 and four controllers… so." Thel and Matt nodded eagerly.

Right in the middle of a firefight there was a loud and obnoxious knocking at the door. "I'll get it!" Matt yelled as he ran to the door. Just as the door opened, Kyle stepped in with a huge grin on his face. "Uncle Kyle! You're just in time; we could use an extra player!"

"Hey kiddo, how's it going?" Kyle saw Thel and his brother lounging on the living room sofa. "John, you let your kid play rated M games?"

"I never thought you cared." John replied lazily.

"Good point."

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_Uh, a really rocky start. Eh, I hope you enjoy it anyway. PEACE!_


	2. Family Conflicts

_Some action in this one, not much to say here except… enjoy._

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Arya always wanted to go shopping; she went with their neighbor's housewives while the boys went off to do their own thing. They were going to Ten K Megamall, when Arya first laid eyes on the massive shopping center she thought it was the largest and most beautiful thing she had ever seen. There were lights and advertisements everywhere and thousands of stores to choose from. One of the girls sighed, "Ten K, the largest and most popular shopping center on this side of Earth."

"Where do we start?" Arya asked. The rest of the women stared at her and burst with laughter, "You can start anywhere you like, be sure to look out for the ones that say 'sale' it means that it has a lowered price." Arya nodded and started to explore the vast new wonderland.

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John, Kyle, and the rest of the neighborhood men were sitting in the bar. "So, John, I heard you served in the military, you like wrestling?" John took a sip of his lemonade before answering, "I know how to wrestle, but it's not my best form of combat." The man smiled, "Hey, I know a man named Big Jim, he's a pro wrestler, you think you can take him down?" Before John could answer, his drunken brother slurred, "Listen buddy, my man John here can take down _anyone_ when it comes to fighting. Probably even this Big Jim of yours." John shot him a look that said "I'll make you pay for this."

The man continued, "Is that so? Well, good thing he's in the bar with us. HEY JIM!" A big burly fellow about almost the size of John stood up.

"I'm not sure this is legal." John spoke in a low voice.

"Come on, what're you afraid of? You said you could take him."

"Somebody might get hurt…"

"Sorry pal, the deal's been made. There is no going back." The man persisted. "If you want respect in this place, you gotta earn it." John grit his teeth and rose to face his opponent. Jim smiled as he cracked his knuckles. After a moment of total silence in the bar, the two charged towards each other. As they collided John pushed him back and pinned Jim in a vicious headlock. The man twisted and squirmed out of John's grasp and put him in a full nelson while kicking John in his legs. The Spartan could feel himself getting mad, _'Oh, no.'_Soon his rage took control and John elbowed Jim in the face and threw him across the bar while letting out a savage growl. Kyle immediately saw the danger and tried to pin his brother against the wall, but the alcohol made his movements slow and clumsy. John just brushed aside his brother while advancing towards the man. Jim cowered at the scene of the huge Spartan with eyes that glowed blood red. "Please… please don't hurt me."

John smiled sadistically, "Sorry pal, the deal's been made." As he raised his fists to pound on the helpless civilian, Kyle tackled his brother and successfully pinned him. Everyone gasped in amazement as they watched John's eyes fade from bright crimson to aquatic blue. John sighed shakily, "I'm all right." Kyle loosened his hold and they both got to their feet. John took another drink from his lemonade and exited the bar with Kyle leaving the spectators to talk about the new badass in town.

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Arya had never experienced this giddy joy of finding a good sale on a beautiful pair of shoes or outfit. This place was truly a women's paradise she could be lost in this place forever and not give a damn. She met up with the other girls with a handful of shopping bags from designer's brands. After they all ate at a place called the 'food court' they set out to shop some more. As Arya was looking through a sales rack she spotted an outfit that she particularly liked and decided to try it out in the dressing room. Just as she walked into the corridor lined with small changing booths a man dressed in black covered her mouth and held a knife to her throat. "The less you move, the less this will hurt sweetie." His breath smelled strongly of cheap whisky. Arya merely rolled her eyes and quickly disarmed the man with a quick, fluid motion and placed several good punches to the man's face, stomach and groin. Then Arya finished him off with a roundhouse kick to the face which sent him flying to the opposite end of the corridor. A couple women peeked out of their dressing booths just in time to see the man fly and hit the wall, unconscious. Arya brushed off her clothes and thought, _'Maybe this outfit isn't as good as I thought.'_ Then she continued on her shopping spree without a thought. Soon after she exited the store, Arya saw several security guards rush towards it.

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Matt hated to just sit in one place and listen to the teacher drone on about what two plus two equals. He could tell the other students were also bored out of their minds, some were actually asleep and resting their head on their desks. But what really caught his eye was the girl sitting two seats away from him, Eva. His mind was wandering; he didn't notice the teacher calling his name, "Matt, Matt, MATT!" He jerked and spoke in a hushed voice, "Yes sir?" Mr. Haines sighed, "Would you care to get out of La, La Land and join us please?" Many of the children giggled. Matt glared at the floor, _'Another typical day.'_

As soon as the bell rang, every child was clamoring to be the first ones out. In the school courtyard, Matt was greeted by a familiar voice, "Hey, give me your money, freak!" He sighed; Billy the school bully has been tormenting kids smaller than him ever since he got here. Billy was flanked by two of his henchmen, Nat and Pat. "Hey, I'm talking to you, freak." Matt continued to walk, his anger and irritation building inside him. Billy violently shoved Matt to the ground while his back was turned. Seeing this, many of the other children formed a ring around the two and chanted, "Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight..." Matt slowly got up; he didn't notice his eye color had turned into a slight shade of yellow. "Don't touch me…" The bully sneered and jabbed Matt in the stomach, hard. The Spartan/elf doubled over in pain causing some of the children to laugh or giggle. When Matt opened his eyes again, his eye color had darkened into a bright ruby color. Billy's nasty sneer vanished, "Wow, you really are a freak." The other children laughed at that. But before Billy could throw another jab, Matt grasped his neck and smashed him against a wall. Billy's henchmen came to his aid, but Matt just grabbed both of them by their shirts, slammed them together and threw them onto the street into oncoming traffic. Realizing his grave mistake, he rushed towards them and hurled them back onto the safety of the sidewalk just as an incoming car sped towards them. Out of instinct, Matt fell to the ground and flattened himself, the car passed harmlessly over him. When the danger was over, he got to his feet, retrieved his backpack, and continued his journey home.

"You did _what_ to Billy Rek?" John growled with his hands planted firmly on his hips.

"But he was asking for it!"

Arya came into the room, "Matt, what happened?"

"He got into another fight with the Rek boy." John replied sternly.

"Again? Matt, you know what I told you about fights." Arya scolded worriedly.

"He started it anyway…" Matt mumbled under his breath. Arya pulled her son in for a tight hug.

"Matt, why didn't you just go to the teachers with this?" John asked, with a firm expression.

"So what if they caught Billy? They would only put him on detention and then let him out to do this again!" Matt cried.

Kyle called from the living room, "You know, the kid's got a point."

John sighed, "Fine, we'll let this one go and say he got what was coming to him, but next time you get into trouble with the other kids, go straight to the teachers, deal?"

Matt nodded, "Deal."

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_Alright, I'm beginning to like this story more and more. See you next chapter folks. PEACE OUT!_


	3. House Upgrades

_So, a little change of view in this one. AND GET SOME REVIEWS IN! Nothing much else to say here so… enjoy._

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Eragon, in his new shiny SPI armor looked out over all of Alagaesia. He watched as supply dropships touched ground to deliver materials to heighten their technology. The UNSC chose to call this colony 'Aragon.' Over the past six years, Eragon watched villages and towns turn into cities with skyscrapers so tall that they could poke through the clouds. The last dragon egg was taken into the Elves custody. With Galbatorix gone, soldiers could once again, return to their families, those who chose to stay were transferred to advanced boot camp.

With no more battles to fight, no enemies to vanquish, and no more lives to be lost, a feeling of peace settled throughout Alagaesia. Nasuada was no longer leader of the Varden army, but the CEO for a popular lace and clothing company. For Eragon, fighting was all he knew, so he became the head of the Peacekeepers, an advanced law enforcement group (Think of modern S.W.A.T. teams). Saphira also received upgrades to her armor like personal shielding and active camouflage.

The Dragon Rider was bored. There was almost nothing to do except deal with petty crimes and talk with the other officers and Saphira once in a while. Now that the war was over and the Peacekeepers were rarely needed, Eragon didn't know what else to do with the rest of his long life. He lay on a patch of soft grass by the river next to what used to be the Varden's base. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something glint in the sunlight. Intrigued, he picked up what looked to be an old, clear plastic wrapper covered in mud and grime, _'Littering is not allowed in this area…' _Eragon shrugged and threw it away in the nearest trash bin.

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This time, twice as many reporters gathered around the house, making unnecessary noise. Word had spread on John's bar fight and now, Kyle was paying for it. John and Arya tied him to a chair and put him in the living room where sound traveled the most. He had to sit there and listen to the crowd's noise while John and Arya were in their bedroom. Kyle could have broken out of the chair, but he felt like he owed it to his brother for getting him in that fight. Even Spartans have an annoyance span, and Kyle's was relatively short. After one hour of torture, John came and undid the ropes tying Kyle to the chair. Immediately, the freed Spartan ran for his earphones connected to his holopad where all of his music was downloaded.

John couldn't take it anymore. The yelling, the shouting, it had to stop; someone had to put an end to this madness. He pulled out a standard issue UNSC pistol and opened the front door to be greeted by a dozen flashes. In a blur, John raised his weapon and put a bullet into any cameras he could see. As soon as seven shots rang out the crowd ran screaming in all directions. As soon as everybody cleared out, John slammed the door closed and collapsed on the couch clutching his ears fearing for the next crowd that gathers at his door.

Matt walked home from school, but this time, he was followed by photographers with leaves on their cameras. John explained that they were doing their job, but Matt's annoyance was building up again as he heard another series of clicks from a nearby bush. As he heard another chorus of silent clicks Matt picked up a few stones and hurled them into a bush which earned him the sound of breaking glass and a silent curse word. A tall lanky man stumbled out from behind the plant rubbing the places where the stones hit and clutching a camera with a broken lens. "Hey you little twerp, you just broke my camera, you know how much this cost me?" Matt cocked his head, "Do I look like I care?" As tensions rose, the other photographers rose from their hiding spots to get a good shot. Matt ran home, his only intention was to get away from those unbelievably annoying people. As the boy reached his house, the door flung open to reveal John holding a gun while he escorted Matt inside.

"I'm going to have to start hiring bodyguards…" John groaned as he stashed the weapon away in his bedroom drawer.

The next day, John set out to find a good home defense against those pesky reporters and photographers. In a hardware store, he picked up several sentry turrets and motion sensors. Back at the house, John placed two sentry turrets at the front door, two at the back door, one by the garage, and the rest were mounted on the roof. Motion sensors were placed around the perimeter of their house. The turrets had a special lock on system that recognized faces, any unrecognized people would be shot with rubber bullets designed to cause pain on impact. Motion sensors were linked to both the turrets and the security alarm. John sighed in contentment while he examined his handiwork. _'I'd like to see those reporters get past that.' _Then he walked back into the house to turn on their new security system. The house's new AI Sara spoke through the speakers, "Defense system online." John smiled and sipped from his cup of coffee as the turrets outside did their job.

Arya drove to pick up Matt since he was not trusted to keep from killing any photographers. The first thing Arya noticed was that there were no reporters blocking her way to the garage. It was then she noticed the machines beside the front door, garage and the roof. As she pulled into the small parking garage, she saw a person with a camera being chased away by a hail of rubber bullets. Sara's voice spoke through the car's speakers "Autopilot parking procedures initiated." Arya murmured a quick 'thank you.'

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_So, what'd you think? GET SOME REVIEWS IN! I don't like to repeat myself so just do it._


	4. Kidnap and Rescue

_So you think this story is just going to be about how John and company fit into civilian life? Wrong. You see, every story that I write is going to be about a war, whether it be foreign, or domestic. Enjoy…_

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** "We are going to need more candidates in order for this program to become fully operational. If there aren't more, they will all be killed in the first month of active duty!" The man slammed his fist on the desk.**

** "Don't worry sir, we'll get you those candidates and then the Spartan V program will make us rich."**

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John loved his holidays, especially Spring break. Arya, John, and Matt loved to go to the annual Carnival that was in town. John and Arya cheered Matt on as he played a game involving a small sandbag knocking over a tower of bottles. The boy calculated the speed, distance and which bottle to hit. As soon as the sandbag toppled the tower of milk bottles Matt was presented with a blue plush teddy bear, unknowing that someone was watching in the background. The happy family moved on to other meaningless but entertaining games that demonstrated Matt's strength, speed and knowledge.

The man raised his communicator and pressed the talk button as he watched the little boy, "I think we have candidate number 819, move in to intercept."

John rested with Matt on a bench while Arya was in the restroom. The Spartan turned his head to see Arya approaching them with a look of concern, "John, where's Matt?"

"What do you mean? He's right h… shit." John turned his head to see that his son had disappeared. "He was sitting right here, I swear…"

"Well stop talking about it, we have to find him!" Arya ran for the nearest security booth while John went in search of his missing son. The Spartan was a head taller than the crowd, so he caught a glimpse of Matt's orange shirt. He rushed towards him, as he got closer, he could see that Matt was being dragged by a man; that only increased John's urge to get to him. He could see other men coming to intercept him. The man holding Matt ushered him into the back of a black van and drove off. The last John could see of his son was Matt's small face peeking out the van's back window. The Spartan ran, he ran for the sake of his son. Bystanders watched as the man sped down the road at almost twenty miles per hour.

The man driving the van heard a loud thump on top of the vehicle, as if something heavy landed on it… A fist punched through the van's ceiling and made a grab at him, he swerved to throw off whatever was on his car. John held on to the top of the vehicle for dear life as it swerved and veered. At a sharp U-turn, John's grip loosened and he flew. As he hit the ground he got to his feet and continued to run with a slight limp. As the van pulled a corner, John stopped and fell to his knees, _'I've failed.'_

John gripped the wheel as he drove home with Arya weeping in the passenger seat. "Sara, engage autopilot, and track a vehicle with the license plate number being 4KTL-760."

Her robotic voice came through the car speakers, "Autopilot engaged, tracking vehicle." A red moving dot appeared on the car's holomap. When the couple got home, John spoke in a voice that promised blood, "Sara, open the armory." Their living room transformed into a shiny room that contained the latest in plasma and UNSC weaponry. "John, aren't we going to call the local law enforcement?" The Spartan shook his head as he slapped a full magazine into an assault rifle and began to suit up into his new Mark V Mjolnir armor. Arya did the same with her Mark IV Recon armor.

"Sara, transfer vehicle tracking to my GPS please." John spoke through his helmet.

In a moment, the red dot appeared on John's portable electronic atlas. "Transferred." The couple climbed into their car and John typed in a code into the keypad. The vehicle transformed into an armored personnel carrier with four inch thick titanium plating. "Hang on Matt, we're coming to get you."

The boy struggled against the men who took him. He bit them, he kicked them, and he did whatever he could to make them miserable. After the van stopped at an abandoned warehouse, Matt was thrown in with other kids who were just as frightened as he was. As the doors closed there was a massive '_**BOOM'**_ as a tank crashed through the concrete walls of the warehouse and two figures in Spartan armor leaped out. The men were quickly taken out, but the driver jammed on the accelerator and the van jumped forward and escaped with the children.

John saw the van speed away, "You're not getting away that easily…" He and Arya chased after then in their own vehicle. "Sara, track vehicle, license plate, 3GKT-290." The red dot appeared on the holomap. Arya jumped onto the roof of John's tank and prepared to board the van. Shots rang out as the passenger of the small black van opened fire on John and Arya. John was having trouble seeing through the tank's small slits and the hail of superheated lead. He didn't see the small ramp until it was too late. The large tank flipped and landed wheel-up in the middle of the road. Peacekeepers rushed to the scene with weapons at the ready.

Matt saw their car flip and crash. The last thing he saw was his parents in their armor climb from the wreckage. They drove for hours, some of the kids begged and pleaded to be let out and returned to their parents while others were discussing a plan of escape. Matt was in none of those groups, he examined the weak metal back door of the van, with his Spartan strength, he kicked the door open. "Come on!" One by one, the kids jumped from the car, Matt was the last to go. One of the guards figured out what was happening. He grabbed Matt by the shoulders and pinned him to the ground, the boy struggled, but even with his unnatural strength, he could not move the mountain of muscle holding him down.

After another hour, the van stopped and the men dragged Matt out. There was a large military base with the symbol of a pyramid with a circle in the center with the letters ONI. A woman wearing civilian clothes stepped out to greet them. She spoke in a pleasant voice, "Hello, I am Dr. Halsey; you will be the protector of Earth and all her colonies."


	5. Training

_How's that for a twist in the story? Yes, I've planned this from the very beginning. Can Matt survive the rigorous training for Spartans? Find out… enjoy._

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**"Sir, there is a problem."**

** The man drew a breath from a cigar before answering, "What is it?"**

** "The parent of one of our candidates is a Spartan II. He is familiar with our… methods of acquiring new subjects and has pressed charges of kidnapping and child abuse."**

** The man drew another smoky breath, "Bribe the lawyers, and leave the parents to me."**

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Arya wept quietly in John's arms as the police chief questioned them."I understand you used to serve in the military, but how did you have access to all that equipment we found in the crash?" John replied in a solemn voice, "I'm Master Chief petty officer 117. The UNSC allowed me to keep some military equipment." The police chief's eyes widened in surprise, "What about your wife?"

"She used to be in the UNSC too."

"I see… well, you're good to go, we will continue our investigation for the kids."

"Kids?" John was intrigued, "There were more?"

"Yes, many others came in with a report like yours, but we're on the case. Don't you worry."

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"And here's your room," The nice woman led Matt to a small ugly building with the numbers 07-D. When she opened the door Matt almost fainted from surprise. Eva was in the room holding Billy Rek by his neck and her fist pulled back to strike him. "Eva! What happened?" Billy let out a strangled cry as she punched him in the mouth. "He provoked my attack ma'am." Her voice was robotic and cold. Matt shuddered at the sound. "Well play nice, you have a new boy coming in."

Eva cocked her head, "Matt? So they got you too huh?" Dr. Halsey smiled and left the room. Billy got to his feet, "Great, another freak, now it's a real party." Matt punched him in the nose and a large gush of blood spurted out. "Nice one," Eva commented as Billy clutched his bleeding nose. "Hey, let's see what you got, meet me in the training arena when you get your uniform." Matt nodded and left. Dr. Halsey was waiting for him outside; she cast a worried glance when she saw Matt's bloody knuckles. "Come on Matt, let's get you in your uniform."

The 'uniform' consisted of a camouflage shirt, pants, and combat boots. Eva was waiting for him at the training area. Seven guards stood watch at all times. Matt shuddered, he saw other kids being yelled at by the trainers. He heard stories about how regular people trained people like his dad, kidnapped in childhood, then trained in secret and later sent on suicide missions. Matt shivered the idea of him holding a gun out on the battlefield. Finally he reached the small ring enclosed by a wall of concrete. In the arena, the two children raised their fists. He could tell that Eva had more training than him, but he had his father's augmentations and precision. Eva made the first swing, Matt blocked the punch and countered with an uppercut which she narrowly dodged. Now, Eva moved more carefully. Eva landed a solid kick to Matt's stomach, but then something grabbed her foot and threw her to the ground. Eva looked up to see Matt's eyes blazing a demonic crimson. She got to her feet and backed away, her back met solid concrete as Matt continued his advance. The girl ducked under Matt's punch, his fist was embedded into the wall. The guards came to apprehend Matt but they were quickly dispatched. The boy felt a slight pinch in his thigh, there was a needle sticking out from his leg. Matt saw the shooter and advanced. The guard put another round into Matt's arm but the drug had little effect. "Matt stop!" He stiffened and turned to his new target. Dr. Halsey was holding a syringe behind her back.

Seeing the danger, the other Spartans piled onto Matt, forcing him down. Halsey looked down to see Matt's eyes fade from bright ruby to a shade of green. Other guards came with tranquilizers and dart guns.

At lunch, Matt could feel the eyes of every trainee on him. He sat alone in a corner hoping that he wouldn't be noticed. But sure enough, everybody was talking about him. As soon as he was finished, he reported to his barrack and crashed down onto his bunk and fell asleep.

The next day was beyond torture. The drill sergeants with stun batons screamed in their faces and made them do two hundred push-ups, run around the entire base seven times within eleven minutes and other demanding training exercises. At the end of the day, Matt's every limb was sore and worn out. What made it worse was that his food ration was cut in half due to the incident with the guards. Matt was tired, he was hungry, he was sore, and he was irritated.

_Ten years later…_

Life in this camp was a living hell for Matt C-205. But he had no choice, he learned every weapon and vehicle the trainers presented to him. He became close friends with Eva C-171 and Billy C-115. War and combat tactics and strategies were ironed into Matt's very existence. They myriad of small parts and pieces of a gun he remembered flawlessly, Matt could know what every single metal square of a vehicle was and what it did. The Spartan V group would be made public when the subjects' passed training and received their augmentations and armor.

The director looked out over the camp from the observation tower. For the past few days, he had been watching an individual, Matt C-205. He watched as it was he who would always run ahead of the others, learn faster than the others, and be better than the others in almost every way. He spoke to his AI, "Cortana, please bring me Number C-205." Her hologram flashed into existence, "Confirmed."

Matt was shooting his target, hitting the bull's-eye every time. When the speakers rang out he jumped in surprise and caused him to fire off center. The bullets rattled off to the side of the target and Matt was shocked with a strong electric current by the panel he was standing on. He hated this firing range, if you didn't hit the target dead center, the metal plate would shock you. The boy put away the assault rifle and reported to the director's office as told.

Matt was escorted to the office by two guards. When they entered, the director of the Spartan V project himself turned away from a holomap to face them. The office itself was a bit too large to be called an office, more like a warehouse with a myriad of holopanels and computer servers. The director smiled and motioned for the guards to leave. "Matt, I've heard many good things about you. Your father was a Spartan II, and your mother, an elf… correct?"

"Yes sir." Matt didn't even realize that his voice took on a dull monotone.

"Well, Matt, you are at the top of your class, and for that, I think you deserve an early graduation. How does that sound?"

Matt stiffened, "Sir, do you think I am ready?"

The director smiled pleasantly, "Well, you still have your graduation assignment. Finish that for me… and you just might get your armor, and your freedom." Matt nodded, "Yes sir, when do I start?" The director's smile grew impossibly larger, "You will be briefed tomorrow, I will give you one day to prepare."

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_Finally… so, what do you think? Leave REVIEWS! People, I am so tired of having to tell you in almost every single chapter, I mean, COME ON!_


	6. Awkward Reunion

_Now, the suspense starts to build. What is Matt's secret mission? Find out in this chapter… enjoy._

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Matt sat in the briefing room with Cortana, her avatar shimmered on the holopedestal. "Your mission is to take out a drug lord hiding in the suburbs alone, his house will be defended. Proceed with caution." The Spartan nodded and started to walk out, "Aren't you forgetting something?" Matt pulled out her data chip and inserted it into his neural implant. Matt took another glance at the address and he felt a slight feeling like he had been there before. He shook off the feeling and marched towards the armory.

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Matt arrived at the target site, strangely, this area looked extremely familiar. But he had no time to think about that now; he had to concentrate on the mission. _'For a heavily defended house, there aren't that many defenses.' _Matt saw his target through a window; he readied his silenced rifle, took aim, and pulled the trigger.

John sat in his office. He was only fifty years old, but today, he felt 100. Turns out, Spartan's augmentations allow them to live much longer than a normal human being; the only problem was that John was the only Spartan who lived long enough to find out. For ten years, he tried to find his missing son, now presumed KIA. Despite this, John and Arya managed to keep their marriage together, knowing that they tried their best. Now that the wars were over and fighting was all this small family knew, they had no purpose, no child to care for, and no reason to live. Most of the day, Arya was in the bedroom meditating, and John spent the day sleeping or exercising. _'We can't keep this up forever. Sooner or later we're going to have to do _something_.' _A silent alarm interrupted the veteran's thoughts. John pulled up the security camera's feed. There was a man that pointed something that looked like a rifle at a window… Instinctively, John tilted his head back and a hole was blown into the wall where his head was a few moments ago.

Quickly, John took control of his turrets and attacked the assassin. Matt saw his shields flare and weaken as the rubber pellets took his shields down to ten percent. Arya opened the door and unloaded her assault rifle. Matt quickly took cover behind a parked car. "Come out with your hands up!" Matt knew that voice… as if he heard it once in a distant memory. Suddenly the pieces clicked together. "Mom?"

Arya lowered her rifle and felt tears streaming down her cheeks. Matt climbed from behind the car and removed his helmet. John rushed out with a shotgun to be greeted by his son in shiny Mark VI armor. The family discarded their weapons and came together in a tight embrace with tears streaming down their faces. Hidden photographers came out to take a good picture of them, but they didn't care, they were together now.

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**"Sir, Matt C-205 has seen through our plan. It is likely he will disclose our position and operations."**

** The director slammed his fist down on the table, "Very well, send our men, we must bury the truth, and anyone who stands in our way will be buried with it."**

** "Yes sir, I will organize a strike team right away."**

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_I know this is a shorter-than-usual chapter. But I haven't been feeling well lately… might just be a cold. Eh, see you next chapter…_


	7. The Attack

_Sorry for the long update, you ever been sick? It's not fun, it's boring as hell, but I must write on for the sake of my sanity and my readers. Enjoy._

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Matt sat by the window, looking out at the steadily increasing rain. For some reason, Matt always felt calm and tranquil when it rains. With his head propped on his arm, the boy's eyelids felt heavy and his mind went blank. Matt's head slipped from his arm, and suddenly there was a loud '_BANG' _and a hole was blown into the wall right next to his head. The boy jumped and his combat training kicked in, he rushed to the armory.

John and Arya rushed from their rooms with weapons. Matt grabbed a sniper rifle while Arya went with her pistol. John ran for the turret control terminal. He pressed a series of buttons and a joystick popped from the keyboard.

"How did they get past the motion sensors?" John yelled over the gunfire.

"Motion sensors offline, stasis mines online." Sara spoke with obvious worry in her voice.

One of the attackers in black special op armor stepped on one of the mines and froze in place with a blue light surrounding him. The attackers' shields flared as the turrets picked their targets and opened fire. Matt aimed down his scope and fired, taking out one of the attackers. Soon, a few house owners emerged from their homes with shotguns or rifles.

The attackers slowly advanced despite the suppressive fire. "Stand back!" John yelled while shouldering a rocket launcher. The rocked was released; the speeding projectile left a white vapor trail as it zoomed towards a clump of the black armored figures. The resulting explosion sent some flying while blowing others to bloody pieces. Despite their loss, the soldiers continued to swarm the house. Soon, local law enforcement arrived to the gunfight. Peacekeepers rushed from their APCs with riot shields only to be mercilessly gunned down by armor piercing rounds.

Matt discarded his sniper rifle and headed back into their armory. John and Arya desperately returned fire as the soldiers in black armor slowly approached. John reloaded and got up to shoot, but instead, the butt of an assault rifle met his face. John staggered back from the blow and fell on his back. His vision was blurry, but John could see the soldiers pinning Arya to the ground. Matt emerged from the armory in full battle armor and hefting a heavy machine gun turret shouting what must be the strangest battle cry, "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

Matt unleashed a volley of superheated bullets into the attackers. Due to the turret's inaccuracy, bullets were flying in all directions, tearing up the inside of the house. After a minute of nonstop gunfire, Matt's turret clicked empty. Additional Peacekeepers arrived and held back another wave of attackers. The suburban area turned into a massive battlefield, bodies and bullet casings littered the streets.

Arya grimaced as she got to her feet. Her head ached from all the gunfire and the smell of burning flesh. John was already dressed in his Mark V armor firing his assault rifle while Matt used his shotgun. The elf gripped her pistol and rejoined the fight using her weapon and magic.

While all of this went on, nobody noticed a large tank hurtling down the streets toward the fight. The vehicle crashed into seven of the black armored soldiers before coming to a stop. Sure enough, a Spartan IV and an elite in golden armor climbed out along with a squad of Peacekeepers. The soldiers in black armor were slowly being pushed back. Matt and John ran out of ammunition and used their powers. Green and blue beams of energy burst from their hands as they burned through the enemy infantry, turning them into molten glass and ash. The attackers thinned out and retreated with law enforcement chasing after them in hornets and warthogs.

The family walked through the charred remains of their house. "You think the insurance company covers attack by terrorists?" John suddenly asked. Arya smiled but her expression turned into one of pain as she clutched her bleeding side. The bullet wound bled freely onto the ground. John, Matt, Thel, and Kyle rushed to her aid as she fainted from blood loss. Medics arrived to fill the wound with biofoam and transport her to the hospital. One of the black armored soldiers leapt from the bushes and tackled Matt to the ground while the rest of the group was elsewhere. The two struggled for a moment until Matt rolled so that he was on top of the masked assassin. Matt ripped off the helmet of the assailant to reveal a familiar face… "Eva?"

Spartan C-171 bared her teeth and struck Matt square in the face. "You traitor… you goddamn turncoat." She hissed as she pulled out her combat knife. "You killed them all… Sally, Eric, Randy… you killed them!"

Matt held up his palms in a show of peace, "Listen, I had no idea, I was just defending myself…"

Eva charged towards him with her knife glinting in the moonlight. A gauntleted hand caught Eva's arm before the knife could connect with Matt's chest, "Seriously kid, didn't they teach you hand-to-hand combat at the camp?" Kyle said as he disarmed and pinned Eva in a headlock. She fought against Kyle, but she could not escape the full-fledged Spartan's iron grip. John, Thel, and the rest of the Peacekeepers arrived to apprehend the Spartan V.

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**"Sir, the assault failed, about sixty percent of our trainees have been reported KIA, the other forty percent are either gravely wounded or dying."**

** The director stiffened and hurled a pen that pierced the man's arm. The soldier cried out in pain as he ripped the pen from his bicep muscles. The director spoke in a harsh, cold tone. "Just what are you teaching them? Our soldiers were defeated by a few cops and war veterans. That conclusion is unacceptable… do I make myself clear?" The soldier nodded, still clutching his bleeding arm. "Good, make them train harder and cut their break time. We cannot afford any more delays." The soldier nodded again and exited the room.**

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_Hey, I hoped you liked this chapter_. _See you next time._


	8. New Developments

_You know what? I'm too tired to tell you to review. So, on with the story… enjoy._

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Eragon lied under Saphira's wing. The Peacekeeper headquarters' air conditioning was too cold. Tomorrow, they would be shipped off to another planet since they were no use here. Eragon tossed and turned, he always wanted to be aboard one of the massive flying vessels but now that the chance presented itself, Eragon wasn't so sure anymore. Anxiety clouded his mind and left him sleepless. Saphira helped to calm him down with idle conversations and soothing thoughts. _'You mustn't fret little one, I'm sure it will be fun.'_

_'I don't know Saphira, I just don't know…' _Eragon replied his thoughts were slow from lack of sleep. _'I guess I'm just too excited.'_

_'Well, I'm sure it'll be just fine.' _Saphira thought with a deep rumble. _'Besides, you'll have all day tomorrow to think about it.'_

Eragon cast a sleeping spell on himself and then he faded out of consciousness.

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The next day, Eragon was shaken awake by one of the Peacekeepers. "Sir, your flight leaves in thirty minutes, I suggest you hurry." Saphira flew in with a bloody stag in her jaws and the soldier hurried out. Eragon scrambled into some decent clothes and collected his personal belongings. The two took off in a blast of wind and rushed to the Surda Airport. They entered just as the gates were closing. Eragon and Saphira received the VIP suite, complete with a dragon roost and a large bed. The captain spoke through the intercom, "All passengers, we will be taking off shortly, please remain seated until further notice." Eragon felt the ship steadily rising from the ground and it gave him a nauseating feeling, like the opposite of when Saphira drops too fast.

The captain spoke again, "All passengers, we will be entering slipspace in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… A rumble shook the ship as they passed into the slipspace portal. "You are now free to move about the cabin." Eragon explored the ship; there was the casino, the buffet, and a game room. Eragon was most captivated by a game called "Halo Reach 2." While he was playing, Saphira was being groomed and fed by her small army of servants. Two of them were filing her nails to a point, three were polishing her scales, and two more were serving her a raw, bloody slab of meat. In the ship, they experienced true luxury.

When Eragon's eyelids felt heavy, he reported to his suite to find Saphira with her scales glittering like stars. "Saphira… you look… wow." She purred at the compliment. "Don't get used to this, you'll get spoiled."

_'And what's wrong with that Eragon?' _Saphira replied with a hint of giddiness in her thoughts.

The Dragon Rider grinned, "Absolutely nothing."

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Eva sat in a small, dull interrogation room with a tiny cup of water sitting on the table. The law enforcement officers poked and prodded her to extract the information they needed. She wanted to get out of this place. She hated this small room, and she hated being a prisoner. _'Matt, I need to get to him, he will get me out…' _Eva was slowly losing her mind; she had witnessed the deaths of her friends and she had been told that her parents died seven years ago. The Spartan's fists were clenched so tight that her knuckles turned white. She jumped when the door burst open to reveal John and Matt in civilian clothes.

"You are assigned under our protective custody." Matt said, his voice was dripping with excitement. Eva smiled, "You mean, you're… _adopting_ me?" John nodded, "In a sense, yes." Eva jumped from her chair and embraced her new guardian and brother with tears streaming down her cheeks.

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_So… yeah… see you next chapter… peace… whatever… eh._


	9. Visitors

_Story time! Hush up and enjoy._

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Eva's plan was working perfectly, infiltrate the family, kill them in their sleep and avenge her friends. _'I will start with Matt… then move on to the parents…' _She would do it tonight and go back to jail, but it was worth it. Eva could almost hear her friends crying and calling for justice and revenge, and she would give them that. As they pulled into the driveway of their newly remodeled house, Cortana, their new AI spoke through the car speakers, "Back so soon?"

"Yes Cortana, please commence autopilot." John spoke in a tired voice as the garage door opened automatically and the autopilot parking procedures initiated. As soon as the vehicle stopped, Eva was the first to rush into the house. In the kitchen, Arya minced some carrots for stew. The moment Eva walked in, the elf stiffened and hurled the knife in her direction in a lightning fast twitch. The Spartan caught the blade centimeters away from her face. Arya gasped in shock, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I guess I'm still a bit jumpy from yesterday…"

Eva faked an innocent smile, "Don't worry, it happens to anyone." She handed the blade back to Arya. As Eva left the room, Arya let out a sigh and continued to make dinner.

"And this is your room." Matt led Eva to a chamber with a bed, a cabinet, and a bathroom with an enthusiastic smile. She walked in and collapsed on the bed with a contented moan, "This is way better than the bunks at the camp." Matt nodded and left Eva to herself.

In the living room, John sat and watched intently as the news flashed on the screen, "This morning, ONI agent Robert Patrickson, head of the Spartan V project has been arrested for the kidnapping and abuse of multiple children. The parents of these children had pressed heavy charges against the ONI and Mr. Patrickson who will be serving time in jail for forty years." John was too tired from yesterday to smile or celebrate so he did the only thing he could do… pull out an Xbox 720 controller and turn on the console.

Eva took off her stifling black undersuit and stepped into the shower. Hot water helped to soothe her aching muscles and release all her stress. Eva sighed in comfort as the memory of the past few years were washed away along with the dirt and grime clinging to her skin. Eva was reluctant to leave the shower, but her fingers started to wrinkle. She was about to throw her undersuit away when a small combat knife fell out of one of its pockets. Eva held it up and saw it shine in the bathroom light. Arya's voice woke Eva from her thoughts, "Are you almost done in there? Dinner's almost ready!" The Spartan stowed the knife in the pocket of her new jeans, "I'll be right out!"

A loud knocking sounded at the door. John looked out the window to see a massive shape looming in the darkness. There was another knock, John readied his pistol and jerked open the door to reveal Eragon with Saphira standing beside him. "What are you two doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Alagaesia?" Eragon still had his cocky grin, "We got deported, so we decided to visit."

"Who is it?" Arya called from the living room. Eragon stepped in while Saphira snaked her head through the door. "Oh, hello Saphira, Eragon. It's good to see you again." Matt rushed from the living room to see their visitor. "Care to introduce me?" John gestured toward his son, "Eragon and Saphira, this is Matt, my son." The Rider smiled and shook his hand, "Pleasure to finally meet you Matt."

"Likewise." Matt's eyes drifted to the large blue dragon hovering over them, "Hello Saphira."

The dragon's lips twisted into what looked like a smile, _'Greetings little one.'_

"Dinner's ready, I'm sure we can still seat two more guests." Arya motioned for them to come in. Saphira walked around the house and stuck her head through the living room window. Matt and John went to set the table, but Eragon and Arya stayed behind. "Arya, wait." She turned towards him, "What is it?"

"Look, I know I haven't been the most charming person in the world… but…"

Arya sighed in frustration, "Eragon, I am happily married, and I have Matt. There is absolutely no possibility of you and me anymore, there never was. You have to let go of the past and live in the now. I'm sure you'll find someone else soon."

"I understand…" Eragon tried to hide his feelings but Saphira could still feel his anguish.

Eva entered the living room, "Hey, who're the guests?"

"My name is Eragon, I used to serve the war with your… father?" Eragon saw that there was no resemblance between the girl and the parents.

"We adopted her." John said, seeing Eragon's confused look. Arya placed plates of steaming chicken and vegetables on the table and set a large steak for Saphira who rumbled gratefully. The small family ate peacefully that night.

When the time came, Eva slipped the knife into her hands. With her Spartan hearing, Eva could make out the sound of steady breathing in the rooms. She quietly snuck into Matt's room, stalked towards the bed and raised the knife above her head, "For my comrades…" Eva brought the blade down with all her strength.

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_Please review… please? See you next chapter._


	10. Comfort

_Yeah, yeah, getting to the story… enjoy…_

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The shiny combat knife rushed down to meet Matt's head. The descent of the knife was suddenly halted when Matt held Eva's wrist. The sleeping boy opened his eyes which shone with a green glow and placed the tip of the knife to his heart, "If you're going to do it, you might as well do it here…" He said it as if he was saying goodbye; Eva raised the knife high above her head again, but she hesitated as Matt closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. It just didn't seem right… Eva grit her teeth and thought about her fallen friends again. All of her willpower was used when she gave out a cry of angst and victory as she brought down the blade with all her strength. The razor embedded itself into the mattress and narrowly missed Matt's head. The girl fell to her knees and wept. As the hours passed, her cries diminished into silent whimpers, and then she lost consciousness as sleep took her over.

The next morning, Eva woke up in Matt's bed covered in his blankets. Her combat knife rested on the worktable across the room. She then remembered what happened last night and her sobs came back with renewed grief. _'I wasn't strong enough…'_ Eva couldn't help but think these thoughts over and over again. _'I wasn't strong enough to avenge my friends…' _She jumped when Matt entered with a glass of water and a plate of bacon with eggs. "Last night will be our little secret, my parents don't know anything. My father once said, 'Revenge can often only hurt the ones around you.'"

Eva continued to cry for her comrades. Matt wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace. Eva rested her head on the boy's broad shoulders… for some reason, she felt strangely calm whenever Matt was around. The girl gave three more shuddering sighs until she was calm enough to eat. Matt fed her the first few bites before she took the fork and ripped into the bacon and eggs hungrily. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve before sinking back into Matt's steady arms. The boy stroked Eva's hair gently, lulling her into a deep trance. "Thank you… for caring enough to do this for me." Eva sighed as she pulled herself from the bed. "You're welcome." Matt also got up; the two Spartans were forced together by the cramped spaces of Matt's room. Eva blushed as she realized that their lips were centimeters apart and when he lifted her chin to look up into Matt's bright green eyes, she went weak at the knees.

Sensing her nervousness, Matt brushed her cheek and bent down to press his lips against hers in a loving kiss. Eva froze in shock at first, but she was then overwhelmed with a torrent of emotions and needs. Their hands began to wander as their hormones overruled their sense of logic. Matt stopped and pulled away when Eva unbuckled his belt. He gazed into her onyx eyes with a hint of sympathy and remorse. "Don't take this the wrong way, but … I just don't think I'm ready."

"Tell me when you are." Eva said with a smile.

"You'll be the first to know." Matt returned the smile as he dressed and left the room.

Eva picked up her combat knife and threw it out the window as she abandoned all thoughts of vengeance. When she exited the room, Eva walked into the usual scene; John was playing video games, Arya was tending her garden, and Matt was lifting weights in the gym. She decided to join Arya in the garden, as she walked into the yard, Eva inhaled the fresh scent of roses, gardenia, and other assorted flowers and herbs. Arya whispered a spell and a small green plant sprouted from the ground. The entire yard seemed to glow with life; Eva could almost feel the energy emanating from the ground. "You know, when we first bought this place they said nothing could grow here, but look at it now." Arya's musical voice almost blended in with the birds' singing and chirping.

"It's beautiful…" Eva breathed as she wandered through the field of exotic growths and plants, greeted by new and refreshing fragrances with each step. The place was bristling with animals, hummingbirds could be seen darting to and fro, dragonflies perched on the plants, and birds sat in their nests whistling and tweeting merrily. Arya smiled as she saw Eva enjoying her handiwork as she nourished a dying plant with her magic.

In the gym, Matt looked out the window to see Eva walking through the gardens; she seemed to glow along with the trees and plants. The sunlight lit up her smiling face, making Matt feel blood rush faster. He suddenly felt the urge to join her as he looked on.

Outside, Eva spun in circles giddily as she took in everything around her. A pair of arms caught her as she fell; Eva looked up to see Matt gazing down at her with a grin. "Matt, your mother is a miracle worker." She said as she righted herself again. Matt nodded, "Yeah, she does know how to grow a garden." They held each other in the glow of the magical place.

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_There, another chapter down… I'm sorry if this story doesn't make sense. I'm just making this up as I go along._


	11. Bumps in the Road

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John blinked his itchy eyes as he stared intently into the TV screen. "John, would you just stop playing that worthless game and listen to me?" Arya sat beside him on the couch. "Look, I was thinking… maybe we could go out, you know, have some fun." The Spartan paused the game and threw away the controller, "Alright, what'd you have in mind?"

"I don't know, maybe we could watch a movie, go do some shopping, or even just take a vacation." Arya said this with a look that said 'don't argue with me.' John picked up the controller again and resumed the game. Arya gave out an explosive sigh of frustration and whispered a spell that disabled John's Xbox, "John, I'm not saying this for me, the kids are bored out of their minds and so am I. And I'm pretty sure that you are too."

"Fine, where do you want to go on this little 'shopping excursion' of yours? Because I'm all ears!" John threw up his arms in exasperation.

"What is your problem?" Arya cried with tears in her eyes, "All you do is sit here and play video games all day instead of spending even a little time with your family! You're not the John I knew before." He glared down at her with an icy glare, "Fine." The elf walked to the bedroom where she let her bottled tears flow freely. _'How could he act like this? Where did we go wrong?' _hundreds of questions and problems came to mind as she steeled herself and wiped the tears from her eyes. A few moments later, a faint knocking could be heard. Sure enough, John walked in with regret etched into his expression. The elf fixed an angry glare at him.

"Hey look, I'm sorry about that, okay? It's just been a tough couple of days and… I just think I needed, you know, time off for a while."

"Don't give me your excuses." She snapped, then her green eyes softened, "Just tell me you love me and let's put this thing behind us."

John clasped his hands around Arya's, "I will always love you, for eternity and beyond."

The couple kissed with renewed vigor, their saliva mixed as their tongues reached out from their mouths. In between kisses, John pulled off Arya's shirt and his own, and then they collapsed on the bed. "I'm on top this time, Johnny boy."

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Matt drummed his fingers on his desk as the loud moans and groans continued in the other room. He turned his IPod's volume to max, but it still didn't drown out the noise. Eva laid on his bed also listening to her music. "Wow, our parents are really cranking it now, huh?" Eva said with a devilish grin.

"You're unbelievable." Matt muttered as he switched to a louder song.

"Hey, you can't blame them, it has been a pretty boring couple of days." She said as she turned up the volume on her IPod to max.

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_I know this is an even shorter chapter than usual, but right now, I just feel like 5h1t._


	12. Holy Matrimony

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_Two years later._

Matt shoved Eva against the wall gently and pressed his lips down onto hers. She in turn threw him onto the bed and they came together. Matt's mouth left Eva's and traveled down to her neck, she gave a moan as Matt's lips caressed her. She started to pull off her shirt but suddenly the door swung open and the two sprang apart. John stepped into the room and saw them in the same bed and put two and two together, "Uh, Matt, when I said 'teach by example,' I didn't mean… you know…"  
Matt nodded, "Yeah, dad, I think we need to talk."

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"Okay, so let me get this straight. You two are… together?" John sat next to Arya in the living room couch with Matt and Eva. They both slowly nodded as their faces turned beet red. Arya suddenly burst out, "Well why didn't you tell us sooner? I mean, we could've arranged the wedding."

Matt stood up, "Whoa, wedding? Are you serious?"

Eva's blush burned a deeper red as Arya spoke, "What? Are you not 'there yet?'"

Matt shook his head, "I don't know, Eva, what do you think? Will you marry me?"

Eva's face spread in a wide smile, "Brother dear, is this a proposal?"

Matt returned the smile, "Yes sister darling, I believe it is." Out of the corner of Matt's eye, he could see John wink at him and give him a thumb up. Arya sighed, "You know John, this reminds me of how we were back then."

Matt held Eva's hands in his own, "So, what do you think?"

Eva closed the distance and their lips met in a loving kiss, right in front of their parents.

Arya left, "I'll go draw up some wedding plans." Then John rose from the couch, "And I'll go spread the word."

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The wedding took place in their back yard. Of course, sentry turrets were placed all around the perimeter to keep out unwanted guests. The wonderful florae and scents of the garden complimented Eva's white dress adorned with jewels and flowers. Matt stood at the small arch with John at his side.

"Jeez, relax kid. Normally you don't blink an eye in the middle of a battlefield and you're sweating bullets at your own wedding! No pun intended."

Matt fixed a stony glare at his grinning father, "I bet you were like this at your own wedding." He sucked in a deep breath as the music started and Eva walked down the row. Matt tried desperately to remember the breathing exercises John had taught him as the priest went on about holy matrimony. At last when the priest finished and they had said their vows, the couple pulled themselves together and they engaged in a passionate kiss. Everything seemed to glow with positive energy as the crowd of neighbors and friends burst into applause and Saphira roared in approval. In the throng, the newlyweds could hear Kyle wolf whistle.

After the initial ceremony, the couple spent the next few hours greeting neighbors and friends. Photographers stayed outside the outer perimeter to avoid being shot by the sentry turrets. They had to use long range scopes to get good shots of the wedding.

When the day was done, the two lovers lay in bed with their nude limbs entwined. Their mouths explored each other and their hands felt around their bodies. Eva paused and pulled off her shirt, pants, and everything else while Matt did the same. "Are you sure you're ready Matt?"

He gave a slight nod and they sweetly began.

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_Wow, that took longer than expected. But, it was worth it. See you next time._


	13. History's Repetition

_Sparta Station- orbital defense platform._

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"Uh, sir, we have multiple unknown hostiles incoming." Corporal Jason reported.

Captain Ronald Kaiden looked over the scans, "Sedena, you have the MAC cannon, if anything gets too close…" Her avatar of a sangheili shimmered and sprung into view, "With pleasure, sir." The entire station bustled with activity, marines rushed to and fro, trying to reach their appointed positions. One of the unknown hostiles slammed into the Sparta's hull and a deafening mental voice followed by a loud growl boomed throughout the station, _**'I LIVE!'**_

"Sedena what was that?" the Captain covered his ears trying to drown out the voice but to no success.

"Sir, we've got problems, flood have been detected on the outer hull of the station."

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Throughout the Sparta, marines were trying to fend off waves of incoming flood infection forms and failing. They were brought down one by one and transformed into combat forms. The soldiers were forced back to the station's bridge. "Sedena, I think it's time to wake up our good friends."

In the cryo chamber, a technician hurriedly typed the commands into the keyboard while flood pounded on the doors. The technician sighed in relief as three Spartan IVs emerged from their cryo tubes. His relief was short lived as infection forms burst from the air vents and dug into his chest. The Spartans looked up to see him give out a choked cry of pain as tentacles, puss and other growths spewed from his body and mutated him into a combat form.

The bridge was in shambles, what was left of the marines manned turrets and desperately tried to fend off the incoming parasites. Even the captain used a discarded SMG to help.

"Sedena, activate the self-destruct sequence while the Spartans will evac the crew." The captain said as he reloaded his weapon. Sedena's avatar placed her right fist on her chest as she activated the self-destruct. A timer appeared on everyone's HUD as the countdown started. The three Spartans were in charge of getting everyone left aboard the escape shuttles, many were desperate enough to climb into SOEIV pods and launch themselves to Earth.

As soon as the Captain made sure everyone was gone, he pulled out a picture of his wife and daughter as flood forms slammed against the barricaded doors. He held the picture to his chest, "I'm coming home Martha." Then, blinding light and smelting heat enveloped him as the Sparta Station exploded in a fiery supernova.

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The house was a mess, armor pieces and weapons littered the floor. John was in his new Mark VII armor while Arya and the kids were attaching their armor pieces. Matt wore his Mark VI armor while Eva wore the EVA armor. Arya put on her Recon helmet and her HUD flashed into life.

When everybody was ready, John spoke, "Okay, flood are in the city, if you see one, do not hesitate to shoot it. Our mission is to locate and protect any civilians in the area. If the flood are here, there's likely a Gravemind around somewhere, if we find it, we kill it."

"Sir yes sir!" Matt and Eva said simultaneously.

Arya pulled back the pump of her shotgun which let out a satisfying _'ka-chuck,'_ "Let's rock."

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Kyle attached the pieces of his Mark VII armor as chaos ensued on the streets below his apartment. The apartment manager was killed and mutated into a flood combat form and was now pounding on Kyle's door. As soon as Kyle put on the last piece of armor, he kicked down his door revealing the grotesque figure covered in flood grime and puss. The combat form charged at the Spartan, but Kyle effortlessly tore off its arm and punched into the combat form, ripping out the infection form and slowly crushing it in his hand.

Kyle pulled out a few hundred dollars and dropped it on the rotting corpse, "Here's this month's rent, jackass."

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Thel 'Vadum activated his energy sword and sliced a tank pure form in half. As his honor guards and Peacekeepers were busy holding off the other flood. They had barricaded themselves in the Peacekeeper's headquarters along with the civilians they rescued, and are now fighting for their lives.

"Carriers are incoming from the south!" a marine shouted as the slow, bulbous figures felt their way towards them with their long tentacles.

"They just keep coming!" Thel growled as he cut down another combat form.

A large shadow enveloped a small cluster of marines. Confused, they looked up to see a massive flood juggernaut hurtling down towards them; two were crushed by the juggernaut's feet while the others were slashed into bloody slices of gore. The monster growled as it charged towards Thel.

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With their APC filled with crying women and children, John and the rest of the gang headed towards the Peacekeeper's headquarters, running over any flood that stood in their way. The sky took on a blood red hue as flood spores clouded the air.

The flood juggernaut keeled over as Thel sliced off its legs and stabbed it through the torso. A cluster of infection forms burst into flames as Saphira emerged from behind the tall skyscrapers and let loose a jet of scorching flames. Eragon jumped off as she landed, cutting down the combat forms with Brisingr. An APC hurtled down the street toward them, running down a group of combat forms.

The family climbed out and opened fire on the next incoming wave as the civilians exited and rushed towards the safety of the fortified base. Matt flinched as an infection form popped and sizzled as it exploded against his armor's shield.

"Glad of you to join the fight demons!" an honor guard said as he reloaded his needler.

John nodded slightly and walked towards Thel, "What've we got here?"

Thel saluted by holding his right fist against his chest, "We have a defensive perimeter set up, and we're trying to hold back the parasite. The civilians are deep inside the base."

John nodded.

Suddenly an enormous Gravemind fell onto the Earth on what looked like what used to be an orbital defense platform, _**'I LIVE ONCE AGAIN TO FEAST UPON YOUR FLESH AND MIND AND BONE!"**_

"That can't be good…" Eragon muttered.

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_OKAY! Finally another chapter… had to do a little brainstorming for this one. Anyway, see you next time. PLZ REVIEW! Peace!_


	14. Holdout

KYLE

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Walking down the deserted street, I could still smell the scent of rotting corpses even through my helmet filters. I mentally flinched as I saw a small infection form feasting on the decaying body of a small child. The parasite ran as I approached it, the boy looked so very fragile and innocent. I knelt down and closed his eyes.

My hands immediately went for my energy sword as a loud screeching sounded in the distance. I bolted as another wild screaming sounded closer. I ran, I ran as fast as I could which was about forty-three mph. But the flood that was following me was faster. It was right behind me; I could hear the indistinct clicking and jabbering of a flood combat form. As I turned a corner a wall came up to meet me, _'A dead end.' _I spun to face the combat form, that's when I got a good look at it. This one was different, it had no tentacles and it was massive, its muscles bulged from its arms and legs.

The combat form gave a feral scream as it charged. I activated my energy sword and slashed at it, but the parasite nimbly dodged the swing and sent me flying with a solid punch to the gut. I tasted blood in my mouth as I flew and stars exploded across my vision as I went through the wall.

I looked up and saw pieces of olive green armor clinging to the combat form. _'No… this used to be a Spartan.' _I watched it twitch and spasm uncontrollably as a large blade emerged from its right arm in a small spray of green flood puss. It then launched itself into the air and brought down its blade arm with all its might. I rolled to avoid being chopped in half and the huge blade embedded itself in the street. The combat form wrenched and pulled to get its arm out of the ground but to no effect. I reactivated my energy sword and tried to slice it in half, but it dodged again and instead, I severed its arm that was stuck in the ground.

The combat form staggered and began to twitch and spasm as another arm grew from its smoldering stump. I watched in horror as the arm in the ground grew into another one of the Spartan combat forms which pulled out its blade with ease.

"Oh, great…" The flood forms turned their attention to me and charged. I bolted with the two combat forms at my back. As I ran down the street, I drew the attention of more flood which massed behind me. Anything that was under ten feet, I jumped over. I looked over my shoulder and wished I hadn't, it looked like an entire army of flood were at my heels. A small combat form jumped and knocked me to the ground. My energy sword fell from my grip and tumbled across the street and fell into a gutter.

I threw the parasite off and prepared to run again, but the flood had horded around me. I put up my fists, _'If I'm going down, I'm taking some of you down with me.' _As the first infection form made a jump at me, it popped as a hail of gunfire brought down scores of combat forms. I looked to see a scorpion tank blasting away at the parasites.

Flood bits were sent in all directions when the tank fired a shell into a thick clump of pure forms. When the flood were all blasted into chunks and pieces, the driver climbed out and spoke in a thick accent, "Sir, come with me if you want to live!"

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John took apart his rifle, cleaned it, and assembled it again. Everything was going to hell, the flood were literally banging at their front door and their food supply was running short. There were whispers that the city had been quarantined and prepared to glass. _'We need to get out of the city.'_

Eragon had been flying patrols and say that the flood have been massing an army preparing to strike at high priority targets like their base. The surviving military personnel had set up turret defenses, landmines, and heavy barricades all around the area, they knew something was coming.

Everyone jumped as the main gates exploded, leaving a gaping hole in the base's defense. As the dust settled bit, John could see a faint outline of a Spartan through all the ashes.

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_Not so bad… I think… oh well, tell me what you think._


	15. Floodgate

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As the dust settled, the faint outline of a Spartan could be seen. John cautiously inched closer, as he reached the mouth of the opening, a gauntleted fist met his helmet and John was thrown back with the force of the blow. The Spartan stepped from the shadows and revealed a hideously mutated Spartan IV combat form. The peacekeepers opened fire and Thel's honor guards rushed in. The Spartan form screeched a command and dozens upon dozens of flood ran to intercept the honor guards.

John got to his feet, "Concentrate your fire on the opening!"

The Spartan form tossed away Thel's honor guards like ragdolls and used their energy staves as spears and impaled several peacekeepers. Thel activated his energy sword and engaged the Spartan form. With every slash Thel made, it dodged or blocked then countered.

Thel jumped and brought his sword down with all his might and sliced the Spartan form in half, flood puss spraying in all directions. After a few seconds, the two pieces started to twitch and spasm as the two halves grew into two new Spartan forms.

"Cortana, how do we beat this thing?" John asked as he reloaded his assault rifle and opened fire again.

"Oh, Master Chief, you have no idea how long it's been since you last talked to me." Cortana's voice was almost a seductive purr, "It's been getting pretty lonely in here…"

"Cortana, please focus, we need to find a way to kill this thing."

His words were emphasized as the Spartan form grabbed Thel by the neck and threw him into a wall. "Okay Chief, I'll do what you say; I'll do anything you say… _anything_." John could faintly see Cortana's reflection in his visor giving him a wink.

With Thel against the wall, the Spartan form repeatedly pounded on his chest. Cracks were forming on the concrete as each blow increased in power and intensity. Since John knew Cortana was going to be no help, he grabbed a flamethrower.

"Hey, tin man, over here!" The Spartan form turned its attention to John after giving one last kick which sent Thel through the concrete wall reinforced with metal. Then it spoke in a raspy and guttural voice followed by a series of clicks, "Tin man…" John had forgotten about the other Spartan form which knocked John to the ground and pinned him in a headlock. The other Spartan form picked up Thel's energy sword and activated it.

Just as it was going to stab John, the Spartan form was tackled by Matt. It twisted and screeched as the two fought over the energy sword while John twisted out of the other Spartan form's grip and reached for his flamethrower and let loose a stream of fire. It yelled and screamed in pain as the scorching flames tore at its skin and armor. It gave one last twitch as the fire burned it to ashes.

Matt wrestled for the energy sword, but the flood was stronger and faster. It gave a powerful punch to his face, and while Matt was dazed, the Spartan form picked him up by the neck and stabbed through the gut. Matt grunted in pain as he felt something impale him, he looked down to see an energy sword sticking into him and coming out the other side. Through the visor, Matt could faintly see the flood smile as it twisted the sword. Matt screamed in agony as pain shot up his entire torso area.

John looked over to see the flood pull out the glowing energy sword and throw Matt's body away. "NO!" He dropped his flamethrower and raised his glowing palms towards the flood form and blasted it with beams of concentrated energy. Before the beam struck home, John could faintly hear it say, "Oh shit," before it gave its dying screech. John ceased the stream of energy; the Spartan form was turned into a statue of molten glass.

John rushed towards Matt and Thel, "Hey, we need a medic here!"

A man in white marine armor with a red cross on his shoulder came to Matt first, "The wounds are bleeding pretty badly, keep pressure on the injury until we find some proper medical attention."

"As for him," The medic pointed at Thel, "he can rot in peace for all I care."

John grabbed him by his chest armor and hoisted the medic four feet off the ground, "You _will_ help my friend."

The frightened medic nodded and was dropped onto the ground. "Looks like your friend suffered some pretty heavy injuries to the chest area, there might me multiple broken ribs."

Soon after the two were rushed to the bases medical bay that was filled with wounded or dying soldiers. Eva and Arya met up with John outside of the medical bay.

"John what happened? Where's Matt?" Arya's and Eva's armor were dyed a sickly green color from the flood juice. John's expression was enough for them to know what happened.

After waiting a good couple of hours, John pulled out Cortana's data chip. It was flickering between a bright blue color and a dark pinkish color. He slowly inserted the chip into his neural interface.

"Cortana, what happened out there?" For a moment there was no answer. "Cortana?"

"Yes, I can hear you, I'm not deaf you know."

"Then can you tell me what happened?" John sat on a pile of debris.

"What do you think happened John? Huh?" Cortana snapped, "Do you think that just I'm a computer program and I don't have feelings? You of all people should know that by now."

"Look, I'm sorry, whatever I did, I'm sorry." Suddenly, John's vision became dark red.

"SORRY?" Cortana exploded, "Is that what you are, sorry?" her voice took on a venomous tome, "Well, if you're really _sorry_, maybe you should tell me that your apology isn't just another one of your lies."

"Cortana, what are you talking about? What hap-"

"SHUT UP!" Cortana then ended all communications.

John removed her data chip which was now a pulsating white. "What happened to you Cortana, what happened?"

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_I didn't really want to write this part, but it had to be done. Cortana's time had been long overdue. She is now the oldest living AI in history… at least in my story._


	16. Recoverey

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John walked down the hallway bustling with wounded military personnel. He walked into a small recovery room and saw Matt with bandages around his torso. Eva and Arya were there too, sitting by his bed in small, cheap plastic chairs that they had managed to salvage.

"How is he?"

Arya looked up and smiled, "The doctor said he'll live, he just needs to get some rest."

John nodded, "Well that's good, Thel's already up and walking. Doctor says he should sleep it off, but you know Thel…" Arya nodded, and then her expression fell into a frown. "Arya, what's wrong?"

"They're going to glass us, aren't they?"

John knelt down and pulled her into a tight embrace, "Don't worry, the UNSC wont sacrifice innocent lives."

"Yes they will." John and Arya looked up to see Eva with a solemn expression, "To stop the flood, they are willing sacrifice us all; they know our lives aren't worth the millions of others. Sooner or later, they'll make the call, we just have to be ready for it."

John sighed, he didn't want to admit it, but Eva was right. And he could see in Arya's eyes that she knew it too.

As John left the medical bay, he could see that the atmosphere was lighter. Marines were smiling and families were laughing. John didn't understand why, until he saw his brother in full Mark VII armor standing at the front gate being clamored by peacekeepers. Kyle waved as he saw John approach.

A smirk that nobody saw spread across Kyle's face, "Glad to see you haven't been floodified."

"Likewise."

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Eva smiled as Matt stirred and opened his neon green eyes. He groaned as he sat up and started to unwrap his bandages.

"What are you doing?"

As the last strand of bandage fell, it revealed two light pink scars. "Quick healing is something I picked up from my dad. What would take someone months to heal; I can do it in hours. With the help from my mom, I can do it in seconds."

"I'm just glad you're okay."

Matt smiled and they wrapped their arms around each other in a loving embrace. As they pulled apart, John and Kyle walked in. "Good to see you're up kid."

Matt nodded as he pieced together his Mark VI armor, "So, what's next? I'm practically dying of boredom here."

John shook his head, "There aren't any missions just yet. You're just going to have to be patient."

Suddenly, a marine rushed inside, "Sirs, you are needed at the command center."

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As the two Spartans reached the small bunker that served as their temporary command center they saw Arya and Thel already waiting. On the radio, there was a message from an orbiting frigate.

"This is Captain Flores of the Fires of Summer to all ground forces: we have quarantined your area. We cannot provide evacuation dropships due to the local flood anti-aircraft. Take them out and we can send help."

"Sirs and Ma'am, we have located seven flood anti-air spread all throughout the city. We can use the gauss warthogs to reach them and take them out quickly and effectively."

John, Arya, Thel and Kyle saluted and proceeded to the garage. On the way, the four met with Matt and Eva in full battle armor. "We're going with you."

Arya stepped forward, "No you're not."

John's voice was gentle yet stern, "Matt, Eva, the marines need you here for moral support. If you leave them, they will be defenseless should the flood attack again."

Matt knew John was right, "Fine."

John nodded and climbed into the driver's seat and keyed the ignition. The warthog rumbled and roared to life as Arya and Thel climbed into the other seats while Kyle drove his own vehicle.

"See you when we get back kiddies." Kyle said as he waved goodbye.

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_Well, that puts down another chapter. And I'm too tired today to tell you to leave reviews so whatever. Eh, see you next time._


	17. Road Rampage

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Eva drummed her fingers on the table as she worried for her foster parents and friend while Matt was sleeping on a bale of hay. Everything was uncomfortably quiet as families gathered in silent prayer and marines were unnaturally low in spirits. The waiting and suspense was too much for Eva to take, she put on her helmet and watched her HUD flicker to life as she picked up a pistol and a few spare clips of ammo.

"Going somewhere?" Eva spun to face Matt in full battle armor.

"I can't take any more of this, I'm going for a walk." She spun on her heels and started towards the main entrance.

"Well then, I'm going with you." Matt said as he grabbed an assault rifle and a shotgun.

As the two reached the entrance, a few peacekeepers blocked their way, "Sorry sir, ma'am. We have direct orders from your parents to keep you from leaving the base."

"Well I'm belaying that order Sergeant, let us through." Eva said as she tried to push through them.

"With all due respect ma'am, but unless your rank is higher than the Chief's, you're not going through that gate."

"Come on Eva, let's go." Matt grasped her shoulders and led her away.

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Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum watched as hundreds of flood combat forms battered against the quarantine barrier, seeking a way to breach the obstacle.

"Shipmaster, containment barrier is at 25 percent, should I ready the energy projector?"

Rtas turned towards the elite, "You answer that question, are you so ready to glass innocent civilians along with our brothers on the surface?"

The Sangheili paled and shook his head. Rtas sunk into his gravity chair as he rubbed his aching head. _'Today shall be a long one.'_

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"GO, GO, GO!" Arya screamed as she released another hail of bullets from the turret that did almost nothing to slow down the hundreds of combat forms chasing them. John floored the accelerator and Thel fired blindly behind them with his plasma rifle. Kyle was on his own warthog with the two marines desperately trying to keep the flood far behind them.

John gritted his teeth and squinted to see through the cracked windshield. They have been racing through the streets for hours now, and they seem to only be attracting more flood.

"We can't keep this up forever, we're going to run out of gas pretty soon." Kyle yelled over the COMM.

"We only have enough fuel to make it to the last anti-air battery, let's make it count." John yelled back. The flood tower rose to meet them as what was left of the convoy sped towards it.

"Concentrate fire!" John yelled. The marine on the gauss turret pulled the trigger, only to be rewarded with a loud _'click.'_

"Shit! We're screwed, the turret's jammed!"

"You got a plan B?" Kyle asked as they neared the large flood growth.

John growled as he searched for any other way to kill the anti-air cannon. His eyes rested on a highway overhang towering over the flood. "Alright, we use the hogs to bring down that highway, flatten the bastard."

Kyle nodded as they zoomed towards the damaged and weak support beams. "We bail on my mark, 3… 2… 1… MARK!" The passengers jumped out of the vehicles as they crashed and exploded against the support beams. The large highway creaked and groaned as thousands of pounds of metal bent and twisted as gravity pulled it towards the ground.

The flood gave a loud screech as the heavy highway crushed it with along with the other flood combat forms. Kyle collapsed and let out an explosive sigh.

"This is Spartan 117 to all orbiting ships, the anti-air has been neutralized, requesting evac."

"This is Rtas 'Vadum of the Shadow of Intent, phantoms are en route."

John sat next to Arya and held her hand in his own, "I bet this makes one hell of a bedtime story."

"Ya think?"

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_Sorry for the long update, I've been busy playing Starcraft 2. _


	18. Evac Gone Wrong

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At the base camp, families were cheering and crying as pelicans came through the clouds and descended towards them. John and the rest of the gang saw the purple glint of a phantom as it approached. They boarded the dropship as it landed in a swirl of dust and ashes.

Suddenly, the earth rumbled and quaked as large flood tentacles burst from the ground and a mental voice boomed, _**'**__**YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY VICTORY AGAIN!'**_The small dropship took off, but its victory was short lived as huge limbs swiped the phantom out of the sky. In the passenger bay, John grit his teeth and held on tight to the safety handles as the ship tumbled out of the air. Arya choked back the urge to throw up as she felt her stomach do somersaults.

"Brace for impact!" the pilot yelled as the ground drew closer and closer.

Then it was over in an instant, the passengers were thrown from their seats as the phantom jerked to a sudden stop. John ignored the pounding of his head as he stumbled from the wreckage. In the distance, he saw three massive Separatist destroyers and an assault carrier charging their energy projectors. He mentally flinched as the first beams of plasma scorched the earth.

As more beams of energy touched ground, the Gravemind roared in pain and fury. Then the enormous flood being reared its head and sent a massive tentacle straight through one of the destroyers. By the time the ship hit the ground, the rest of the fleet pulled away. John could only watch in horror as the ship burst into purple flames and scrap metal as it collided with the earth.

"117, 117 are you there? Come in 117." Rtas spoke through the COMM channel.

The rest of the squad emerged from the crash as John raised his hand towards his helmet, "This is 117."

"Listen, and listen well demon. We cannot continue the glassing with that blasted Gravemind destroying my ships and the quarantine barriers will hold only for a few more hours. I shall send reinforcements to help you on your journey."

"Acknowledged," John turned towards his team, "Alright, we have to take out the Gravemind in order for the glassing to continue. We can't allow the infestation to spread any further, lock and load."

"Okay, we're missing a few details," Kyle spoke up, "Just how are we going to kill a huge Gravemind with a few pea shooters?"

"The orbiting ships will give us reinforcements." Just as he said this, seven drop pods streaked towards the ground, "Spartan IV Silver team reporting."

"Speak of the devil…" Kyle grumbled.

John cocked his shotgun, "Let's move, we have to kill the Gravemind before the barriers give out."

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_I'm sorry this chapter is a lot shorter than usual, but I'm just…. so… tired…. (falls on the ground asleep)._


	19. Cortana

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"John, where are we?" Arya asked after another four hours of walking through the deserted city. "I think we're lost."

John looked up from the map he was holding, "We're not lost."

"Are you sure you're reading that right?"

"Jeez!" John threw up his arms in frustration, "I think I know how to read a map, thank you very much."

"Why don't you tone it down a few notches, and maybe we won't get ambushed again." Kyle said in a tired voice. "Besides, you still left out the part where we actually kill the Gravemind."

One of the Spartan IV's spoke up, "We are carrying a FENRIS warhead, if we plant it and detonate it near the flood creature it will die along with the surrounding infection."

"Oh," Kyle said as John and Arya continued to argue.

"John face it, we're lost!" It was her turn to be frustrated.

"We are not lost."

"You're holding the map upside down, dumbass." Cortana grumbled in his helmet.

"No I'm not…" John said uncertainly as he turned the map. "Oh, shit."

"You know what; let me see that blasted map." Arya growled as she snatched it from John's hands. Her eyes widened, "You fool, you've been leading us in the wrong direction!"

"Good going Spartan," Thel cut in.

"And this is why Mom never lets him navigate." Kyle whispered to Arya.

John fumed in silence as the group continued to move in another direction. As they neared the Gravemind, its mental sermons became louder and more intense. "Hey, Cortana," John spoke with his helmet speakers turned off so nobody outside could hear him. "You've been pretty silent these past few chapters… what've you been up to?"

"None of your business, jackass." She snapped.

"Ouch, you know, it'd do us both good if you'd cut back on the insults a bit."

"Oh boo-hoo, suck it up you overgrown man-child." She said with the slightest hint of smugness in her voice.

"Just because my shields recharge, doesn't mean my feelings do too." John mumbled. "Why do you have to be such a bitch sometimes?"

There was a moment of silence before Cortana erupted, "OH, I'M THE BITCH? IT'S JUST ALWAYS ABOUT YOU ISN'T IT? JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE THE SAVIOR OF THE UNIVERSE YOU THINK YOU CAN BE A TOTAL ASS? IS IT ALWAYS MY FAULTS AND IMPERFECTIONS YOU SEE?" Her voice cracked as she was close to tears.

"Cortana, you know I didn't mean that… Cortana?" There was no response. "Look, if you're still listening, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what you thought I said. It's just that you haven't been the nicest person in the world lately and… I take back what I said, you're the best friend a Spartan could have."

In the darkest reaches of John's mind Cortana sat in a small corner and cried as her hologram flickered from a pale blue to a dull yellow.

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_I wanted to include Cortana into the story a little bit more so… that's what I've come up with. See you next chapter folks… PEACE._


	20. The Big Bang

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Everything felt uneasily quiet as the group trekked down the street. Even the Gravemind's incomprehensible sermons fell into an uncomfortable silence. Inside John's helmet, he could almost feel Cortana's sadness emanating from his neural implant, this increased his nervousness. Arya suddenly broke the silence, making some of the IV's jump,

"We are close, I can sense its presence."

"Are we close enough to plant the explosive?" Thel asked.

John shook his head, "No, we have to get in closer to confirm a successful kill."

After another few minutes of walking, they came upon piles of scrap metal littering the area. As they neared the Gravemind, they were greeted with a massive downed orbital station.

"That wasn't there this morning…" Kyle mumbled.

"It won't work…" Cortana said quietly.

"What won't work?" John asked as the IV's started to plant the warhead.

"The Gravemind has sealed itself into the orbital station, where it will survive the explosion."

John smiled, "Glad to have you back Cortana. Guys, I think we need to go inside and then plant the bomb. We can then guarantee a successful kill."

One of the Spartans nodded and slung the warhead over his shoulders. Then suddenly, the Gravemind boomed, _**'NO, I have sacrificed too much to be ended now!'**_ In the distance, Arya could sense hundreds of combat forms coming closer and closer. "I think we need to move, fast." She said as she undid the safety on her sniper rifle.

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Rtas gazed at the barrier; it was now at 5% and steadily decreasing. The local residents outside of the quarantine area have been evacuated just in case the Spartans would fail. He flinched as the barrier decreased to 4%.

"Shipmaster, we must charge up our energy projectors should the barriers fail."

Rtas sighed, "Fine, but fire only when the barrier is at 1%. I will give the Spartans more time."

One of the elites stood from his gravity chair, "With all due respect Shipmaster, how could you have such faith in these _demons_?"

"Rtas also rose from his gravity chair, "Stand down Ryau, the Spartans will succeed, they have to."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because they know what's at stake. They know what is required of them and so they will complete their mission by any means necessary. I know it." Rtas growled, "Is that reason enough for you, Ryau?"

The elite bowed his head, "Yes Shipmaster."

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"Uh, how's it going in there?" Kyle yelled as he fired another burst into the crowd of flood.

The Spartan's technician replied, "Have patience, this isn't your ordinary everyday alarm clock I'm working with here."

"The bomb is seventy five percent armed, Chief. Just hold off a little bit longer." Cortana said.

"You'd better hurry it up, another wave is inbound." John yelled over the chorus of screeches, growls, and gunfire. The other Spartans manned machine gun turrets mounted around the perimeter as the flood continued to press harder. Out of the corner of Arya's eye, she caught a glimpse of a bright blue streak in the sky. Then suddenly, a large clump of infection forms burst into flames as a large dragon swooped down from above.

'_Eragon! Where've you been these last few chapters?_' Arya asked through a mental link.

_'I was caught up.'_He simply replied as Saphira swooped down for another bombardment. The flood continued to slowly advance despite their heavy losses. Eventually, the Spartans were forced to pull back as the flood overran their outer perimeter. The group fired desperately trying to slow down the flood's progress.

"Hey man, I really hope you're almost done!" John said as he fired his weapon with one hand while he kept pressure on an open wound with the other.

"I'm almost done….. Alright, bomb's armed, let's go!"

John slapped his MA5C on his back and sprinted full tilt away from the blast zone with the others. "THIS IS 117, THE BOMB IS ARMED! IMMEDIATE EVACUATION IS REQUIRED!"

The Gravemind gave its dying scream both mental and physical as the bomb's counter ticked down to 00:00.

Already in a phantom, the group lifted off. The small dropship rocked violently as the nuclear warhead went off sending radioactive dust and ashes into the air. Through the shroud of dust, John could see the superheated mushroom cloud bloom from the ground up, incinerating everything it engulfed. Then the Separatist fleet descended to finish their job.

Saphira flew up next to the phantom as they neared the Shadow of Intent.

"So, what're we doing tomorrow?" Kyle asked.

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_That wraps it up… for now._


	21. It's Not Over

_You honestly thought that was the end? No, it's not the end, I'm just getting started… (Evil laughter)_

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Rtas let out a relieved sigh as the parasite burned beneath him.

"Shipmaster, there is an incoming emergency transmission."

The Shipmaster sat up, "Patch it through."

"To anyone who can hear this, the flood have escaped the barrier! I repeat THE FLOOD ARE OUTSIDE THE BARRIER! Requesting a shit ton of medical assistance and reinforcements. This message repeats, to anyone who can hear this…"

Rtas slumped in his chair, "No…" he said quietly. "We were too late….. Ready all drop pods, we shall decimate the parasite from the ground."

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On the ground, the civilians were in frenzy as the infection forms took them down one by one. Children clung to their parents as they rushed to and fro trying to reach safety. And as the violent riot continued, the floods numbers grew as the people were mutated into combat forms. A mental voice roared throughout the whole city, _**'YOU THINK YOU CAN DESTROY ME? NO! WE, THE FLOOD SHALL NEVER DIE! OUR VOICE OF DESTRUCTION SHALL ECHO THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE UNTIL NONE REMAIN!'**_

Aboard the Intent, John climbed into his drop pod, _'Can't get a damned break around here… guess they simply don't understand the word 'retired.''_ He felt the adrenaline pump through his veins as his small pod was launched from the ship at dangerous velocities. As he descended, he saw the pods of Arya, Thel, Matt, Eva, and the rest of the Spartan IVs.

At three thousand feet above ground, the occupants of the drop pods felt a sickening lurch as their drag chutes deployed. As they neared the ground, John saw a flood juggernaut among the crowd of mutated civilians. As the pods hit, everyone landed on something or someone. John managed to flatten the juggernaut with his pod.

As the occupants clambered out of the pods, they immediately started to open fire, cutting down many of the combat forms and even some noncombatants. Despite the flood's heavy losses, many more continued to pour from the quarantine area. Peacekeepers both UNSC and Separatist desperately tried to keep the flood from crossing the security checkpoints.

The chaos and discord only elevated as the massive army of flood consumed everything in its path. Suddenly, the ground trembled and quaked as Saphira crashed onto the ground letting out a fearsome roar. Seeing her as a potential threat, many of the flood rushed towards her, trying to bring her down before she could do any damage. But any combat forms that were stupid enough to get in range of her claws were shredded into gory slices of body parts. Then a huge stream of hellfire spilled from her mouth, burning anything it touched to a crisp._ 'Parasite barbecues anyone?'_ She thought with a slight grin.

Eragon then leapt from her back, his SPI armor, sword and SMG shimmering in the red tainted daylight. He unleashed a volley of bullets into the throng with one hand while the other hand wielded Brisingr. He hacked away at the flood, green flood puss staining his armor and blade.

The horde of parasites seemed endless. The army stretched as far as the eye could see and was only growing larger. John and Arya were back to back as they tried to thin out the crowd of flood all around them she would also whisper a death spell every once in a while. Everything was a blur as the flood were now literally everywhere. Not even the small army of Spartans could halt the flood's frenzied rampage. Through all the madness, nobody saw the squadron of hornets coming from one of the orbiting ships.

As the VTOL's opened fire, the crowds of combat forms were mowed down by the machine guns. Marines cheered and Sangheili roared in approval as the floods ranks were thinned out until the surviving few broke into a run and retreated back into the quarantined area.

The Peacekeepers who lived marched towards other breakout points and the hornets did the same. John collapsed on a pile of rubble as he tried to catch his breath, "I'm too old for this crap…"

All of a sudden a deafening roar split the silence as hundreds more combat forms rushed from the quarantine area. "Oh come on, GIVE ME A BREAK!" John shouted as he picked up his shot gun and readied himself for another bloody battle.

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_You'd really think I'd let this story off so easily? Ha! _


	22. Continued Nightmare

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Rtas stared in horror as he watched hundreds of his ground troops get massacred as the horde of flood continued to push forward. He pushed a button on his control console and the screen flickered and died. The UNSC were ordering a planet-wide evacuation and rumors of a NOVA bomb was also heard. He leaned forward and rubbed his temples tiredly, _'Today is just not my day.'_

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John, Matt, Arya, Eva, Kyle, and Thel all bolted down the street at full speed while firing their weapons wildly behind them as the flood army neared. "Don't these guys ever give up?" Kyle asked as he slapped his last magazine into his MA37.

John's breath came in sharp gusts as he replied, "No, just keep running, we're almost to the pickup zone." As they closed in on the air pad, a pelican could be seen on the landing pad. The group reached the dropship. Arya went in first, then Kyle and the teenagers followed, then Thel came in last before the pelican lifted off into the air, with John still on the ground. The Spartan gave one last muscle wrenching leap as one hand caught on the entrance of the pelican. Arya jumped to pull John in, but she was too late as the Spartan's grip loosened and slipped. John felt the wind rushing around him as he plummeted through the air. He rolled as he smashed into the hard tarmac but that only made the landing a little less painful, only by a little.

"Better run faster if you're gonna catch that pelican Chief." Cortana suddenly spoke up, making John stumble in surprise.

"We can't just leave him there!" Arya yelled over the loud roar of the engines.

"He's a Spartan, he'll make it out of there." Kyle replied. "The crazy bastard always does."

Arya looked over the edge, trying to convince herself that he was right.

John ran for what seemed like forever, yet the flood have not tired and are still gaining ground. Suddenly, a massive shadow appeared over the sprinting Spartan, out of curiosity, he looked up to see Saphira with Eragon on her back. "Hop on!"

With a grunt, he hoisted himself over the humongous dragon and onto her back without slowing down. _'Wow John, you really gotta lay off those cookies.' _Saphira thought to him.

"It's just my armor you're feeling." John said with offense thick in his voice.

'Just kidding.'Saphira and Eragon said simultaneously.

They slowed and descended as they passed over another set of quarantine barriers. Saphira landed next to the pelican, her sharp claws digging into the concrete to steady her touchdown. As John climbed from the dragon's back, Arya rushed from the pelican and they met in a loving embrace. Eragon couldn't help but feel a hint of jealousy. A man rushed from the nearby base, "Good to have you sirs and ma'am's. Colonel Vallen is expecting you."

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The Dragon Rider dragged his feet towards his designated room as the day took its toll on his vitality. As he turned the corner he shouted in surprise as he slammed face first into UNSC marine. Mortified, Eragon jumped to his feet, "Oh I'm so sorry." He extended a hand which the marine gracefully accepted.

"Guess you had a long day too huh?" She said as Eragon pulled her up.

As a few strands of hair fell away, Eragon noticed a familiar tattoo printed on her right cheek. Frowning, he brushed her hair aside to reveal a Yawe symbol. "You are a friend of the elves?"

She smiled and brushed her cinnamon brown hair back even further to reveal her pointed ears. "I enlisted in the UNSC after they came. And after that, they gave me a gun, and sent me here."

Eragon smiled back and to her surprise, he touched his fingers to his lips and performed the Elven greeting ritual. As they exchanged words in the Ancient Language, her smile grew larger. "Hey, my name is Selena, you?"

"Eragon, it's good to meet you Selena." She seemed unfazed at his name.

"Likewise."

As the two went their separate ways, Eragon no longer felt as tired as before, _'Another elf… on Earth… who would've known?'_ He chuckled to himself as he headed towards the bar.

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_There, now Eragon doesn't have to be heartbroken anymore. And keep the reviews coming!_


	23. A New Mission

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Eragon opened his eyes as the rays of sunlight shone through the window of his room. He groaned as the hangover took its effect. The vicious headache left the Dragon Rider groggy and confused. He only remembered the drinking and the wild techno blasting from the loudspeakers in the bar. _'You should really stop drinking.' _Saphira suddenly said, making Eragon jump, _'Sharing your hangovers every morning isn't such a good thing to wake up to.'_

Eragon ignored her and rubbed his temples tiredly. He groaned louder as a knock sounded at the door. When he didn't answer, Arya entered in full battle armor and gave him a look of disgust. "You know, you should stay away from the bar."

The Dragon Rider returned the look with a glare, "Maybe I got tired of being told what to do."

"Well you'd better get used to it, because Colonel Vallen needs you in the briefing room with the rest of us. He's giving you five minutes until he starts with or without you."

The elf then left and the door closed with a hiss. Eragon then scrambled to piece together his SPI armor and attach Brisingr to his belt.

When he reached the assigned briefing room, they had already started. The Colonel turned to face him with an expression of impatience, "You're late." Eragon wordlessly stood in line next to Arya.

"As I was saying, today, your team will be fighting your way back to the city center, this time carrying our version of a mini NOVA bomb. The bomb will obliterate only the area affected by the parasite." Most of the Spartans shifted uncomfortably at the mention of a Nova bomb used on Earth. "You will also be accompanied with a group of Special Ops marines. It's just like last time, plant the bomb and we can get rid of the Gravemind and continue with the glassing. You are dismissed."

In the armory, one of the Spartans spoke up, "Hell, I was kidnapped to protect Earth, not blow it to pieces!" The others nodded and muttered in agreement. "I mean, it was one thing to glass half of Africa, but a mini NOVA bomb is just out of the question." The murmuring intensified.

"Stand down solider, we have our orders. Besides, you heard the Colonel, the quarantine barricade will contain the blast." John said as he examined his MA37. Despite his words, the other Spartan continued to grumble.

Silver Team traveled towards the hangar to be met with the Special Ops marines. Eragon saw Selena wearing her standard black Spec Ops armor amongst the others. As the team entered the dropship, Saphira glided into the hangar and landed gracefully with a powerful gust of wind.

As they lifted off and flew alongside the pelican Eragon opened a private COMM channel with Selena, "So, are you nervous?"

A smile tugged on her lips, "Eragon, I've been doing this kind of stuff _long_ before the UNSC… Which one are you?" She asked as she squinted to try to see through the Spartans' mirrored visors.

Eragon smiled too, "I'm the one flying next to the pelican." Selena's smile grew wider as she looked out the bulletproof glass to see Saphira deactivate her active camouflage and reveal Eragon waving to her with one arm.

"Try not to fall off cowboy." The elf said with a giggle.

Hearing this, Saphira suddenly pulled a barrel roll in a playful attempt to throw off her Rider. Eragon cursed and used both hands to hold on to his saddle. Inside the dropship, Selena burst into laughter, Eragon then realized that it was the most beautiful sound to ever grace his ears. Saphira sensed this and gave a low purr, _'It looks like you have found someone to replace Arya after all little one.'_

The Dragon Rider snapped back into reality at this, "Oh settle down, we're just merely friends."

_'You will never know what the future might bring.' _Then she was silent and left him to ponder the meaning of her words. As they neared their destination, the team felt an electric current run through their entire bodies as they passed through the quarantine shield. Then the light in the pelican's cabin grew dark and was replaced by a dark red glow, the windows were replaced with blast shields, and the soldiers checked their weapons. One marine held a small cross in his fingers and prayed silently.

Suddenly, a huge missile pod slammed into their left wing, crippling their ability to fly. "We're hit! Starboard engine going offline! Brace for impact, we're going in way too fast!" The pilot yelled as he deployed the pelican's drag chutes. In the cabin, everyone clung to their support handles. The praying marine prayed louder as the pelican spun out of control and plummeted to the earth in a ball of smoke and fire. Saphira then flew above the smoldering pelican and dug her claws into its hull and gave a muscle wrenching pull to soften the landing.

As the dropship touched ground, the troops exited one by one. The Spartans hefted their weapons as some of the marines bent over and retched what was left of their breakfast. John climbed from the wreckage last and pulled his rifle from a pile of rubble, "Secure the NOVA bomb, we need to get moving fast. The flood will be here in minutes."

"I'll scout ahead." Eragon said over the COMM as two of the Spartans lifted the heavy nuclear warheads. The team traveled for about seven blocks before a chorus of loud screeching and growling erupted all around them.

"They're here." Thel said grimly.

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	24. The Journey's End

**What is this? An edit of the final chapter where everyone doesn't die? Shit, I must be feeling merciful today. I hope you enjoy this chapter more than its previous counterpart.**

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The team readied their weapons as the screeching grew louder and louder then suddenly the windows of the surrounding buildings shattered and rained bits of sharp glass on them. In the air with Saphira, Eragon saw hundreds upon thousands of combat forms he had never seen before. "They're closing in, get out of there!" He yelled over the COMM. John and the rest sprinted away deeper into the infection zone as the grating sound erupted into a new chorus of loud screaming. One of the marines stumbled and fell as his ears started to bleed. He tried to crawl away, but the sound became too loud as his head exploded into bits and fragments of crushed skull and pulverized brain matter.

One by one, the black armored soldiers fell behind and their heads erupted into sprays of blood, but Selena kept up with the Spartans as they were chased into the heart of the infection. After what seemed like hours of running, the Spartans were gasping for breath and the flood had not yet slowed down. As they reached an old dilapidated building, the piercing screaming suddenly stopped and was replaced by a booming mental voice, _**'HA! AT LAST MY POWER HAS REACHED ITS PRIME. SOON YOU WILL ALL BURN WITH MY COMING!'**_

From the sky, Saphira and Eragon saw the massive flood army disappear as soon as the screeching stopped. "The Parasite's using some sort of hallucination-" _'-to drive us deeper into its territory.'_Eragon and Saphira said through the COMM.

"Well, now what?" Kyle suddenly piped up, "We've lost almost half the squad, and on top of that, we've got a super Gravemind on our asses. How did it get those powers anyway?"

Then Selena spoke, "It might've put all that biomass into use by mutating and changing itself to handle making that hallucination and that sound that killed most of the marines."

John nodded, "Then all the more reason to keep moving before the Gravemind does it again." The group checked their weapons again and stood. _**'I AM AN EXAMPLE OF THE PERFECT BEING. I HAVE CHANGED INTO SOMETHING MAGNIFICIENT! YOU PETTY CREATURES CANNOT HOPE TO STOP ME!'**_

"Speak of the devil." Kyle muttered as he lifted the heavy nuclear warheads. As the team left the building, they were greeted with hundreds of combat forms. "Uh, how long have they been standing there?"

"RUN!" John yelled as the massive army of flood surged forward. Overhead, Saphira swooped down and incinerated a few pure forms and grabbing one more and lifting it into the air. The large tank form cried out in alarm as Saphira lifted it up higher. It let out a ear-piercing shriek as the dragon opened her talons and dropped the parasite down onto the streets below. The tank form's juices spattered the sidewalk where it hit the ground and then it went silent.

"Keep running!" Kyle shouted as one of the Spartans slowed. A combat form leapt and took down the green armored Spartan. He gave one last dying scream before the green of his armor disappeared into the crowd of parasites.

Another Spartan went down as a bullet from a sniper shattered his visor and scrambled his brain, killing him instantly. The rest of Silver team stopped and faced the oncoming horde of flood, "Go Chief, you need all the time we can give you, GO!" John paused for a moment, and then continued to run with the remaining others.

The tidal wave of enemies continued to relentlessly pursue them, and the team was tiring. Thel's mandibles were wide open as he heaved and gasped for every breath, and Matt began to slow down. The remains of Sparta Station loomed overhead.

Selena yelped in pain and fell as a shot from a sniper penetrated her left thigh. Without a second thought, Arya went back and slung the crippled elf over her shoulder. "We're almost there! Just a few more blocks!" John yelled over the chorus of growls and shrieks. Saphira landed and continued on foot as her wings were too sore to continue flying, she foamed at the mouth as their chase drained her of her strength and vitality. When they reached the defense platform, John ushered what remained of the group inside, and just as the massive army of flood were about to rush inside after them, the Spartan slammed the door shut.

The metal groaned as it caved in, but the door held. Howls of frustration could be heard on the other side as the flood pounded away at the heavy titanium doors of the defense platform. Eragon silently drained his ring, Aren to sustain the energy of the remaining soldiers. Arya took some time to heal Selena's injury.

_'It won't be long before the parasite breaks through the door.'_Saphira said.

"Then let's keep moving, we need to get in deeper to plant the bomb." John steadied himself and preceded through the dark corridors of the grounded station, weapon raised, his team following silently. He stiffened at every creak and groan the station gave, expecting an infection form to jump out at him at any moment.

It took a few more minutes to navigate through the dimly lit hallways into what used to be the station's main lobby, also designated as their target site. Matt and Kyle set down the NOVA bomb and John got to work on it. As he pressed the buttons, the control panel started to smoke, "Shit!"

"What's the matter?" Arya walked up next to John as he fiddled with the wires and fuses.

"The timer's fried. Someone's going to have to stay down here to detonate the bomb manually." He passed a glance to the rest of his team.

"I'll do it." Selena immediately volunteered, "Besides, I'll just slow you down if I don't."

"No, Selena. You can't!" Eragon said. And the entire team burst into argument on who would stay behind.

"I will detonate the bomb." Cortana suddenly spoke, silencing them all. "But there is a problem."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. We haven't decided anything yet." John said. "We can't let you stay behind because you're too valuable to us."

"John, shut up and think about this." She spoke with a sudden harshness, "There are always sacrifices in war. You're a Spartan, you of all people should know this."

He sighed in defeat, "Fine, you were talking about a problem?"

"Most of the main circuits are damaged, I need time to repair them before activating." In the distance, the team could hear a bloodthirsty howl echoing through the station.

"Alright, we can't risk the flood getting to the bomb." John said, "Take defensive positions behind those barriers and when they come through that door, give'em hell."

The team nodded with determination and obeyed. Thel retrieved a carbine and took a sniping position on the far side of the room. John, Eragon, Saphira, Selena, and Arya were positioned up front while Matt, Eva, and Kyle were relatively close to the bomb and acted as their last line of defense.

More sounds could be heard getting closer to their location. John adjusted his grip on his assault rifle. The screeching grew louder until the first of the parasites rushed out at the team. They unleashed a wave of gunfire upon the incoming mass of flood, shredding through their flesh, downing many.

Saphira roared as she released a stream of hellfire from her gaping maw, incinerating everything in the flames' vicinity while Eragon sat on her back, slicing away at anything that wandered too close to his sword's reach. He didn't notice a combat form rushing at him from behind. And when the Rider turned his back, it'd already been too late as the parasite swung its tentacle, knocking Eragon off of his saddle and loosening his grip on his sword. As he hit the ground, Brisingr slipped from his grip.

Saphira, busy with the oncoming horde of flood tried to help her rider by swiping her tail at the parasite. The blow caught it in its chest and the combat form went flying into a wall. Eragon lunged for his sword, but another combat form shoved him back onto the ground.

Suddenly, the infection form inside the body exploded into a shower of green and brown puss that sprayed all over Eragon's already-dirtied armor. The Rider passed a grateful glance to Thel who nodded at him and continued to pick off other enemies.

Arya had run out of ammunition five minutes ago and was now relying on her sword and magic, dancing gracefully among the enemies, dodging and slashing at her enemies. One particularly fast Sangheili combat form stood before her and smashed a fist against her helmet. Cracks spider webbed across her visor, she quickly recovered and retaliated by draining all of the parasite's energy to fuel hers. She didn't stop until the combat form dropped to the ground and stopped twitching.

John unloaded another clip into a charging flood Tank form, "Cortana, we can't keep this up forever!"

"You won't have to; I am eighty-four percent complete with repairs."

The Spartan growled as he gunned down another combat form. Then another Tank form lumbered towards him, before John could take aim, the flood swatted away his weapon. He then lunged forward and tackled the parasite to the ground, thrusting his fist through its thick skinned torso, killing it slowly.

Moving on, he drew his pistol and fired away. Kyle had run out of ammunition for his shotgun and was now also using his pea shooter. Matt and Eva were back-to-back, mowing down any flood in their sights.

Thel growled in irritation as his carbine clicked empty, he discarded the weapon and drew his energy swords and leapt into the thick of the fighting.

"John, I am ninety-five percent complete with repairs, now would be a good time to start exiting this station."

He nodded and yelled, "Everyone fall back to the evac zone!"

The team complied and began their retreat, firing their remaining shots behind then to slow the incoming mass of flood.

"Good bye Chief." The AI said calmly.

John couldn't help but take one last glance behind him to see Cortana's avatar hovering above the holopanel waving at him. It took all of his willpower to keep himself from running back to retrieve her. The Spartan tore his gaze away and ran.

"Spartans, phantoms are inbound for extraction." An elite on the COMM said.

"Eragon, you and Saphira go first we'll follow you on the phantoms." John said.

The Rider passed a quick glance to the Spartan, and then nodded. Eragon climbed onto Saphira's saddle. She roared as she launched herself into the air.

As the team reached the landing zone, they saw two Separatist phantoms materialize in the air and open fire on the parasites, sending several flying with their heavy plasma auto-cannons. One of them landed and opened the side hatch for the team to board. The grunt manning the plasma cannon cackled manically as he sprayed the parasite with plasma bolts.

When everyone was on, the dropship steadily rose into the air. There were some flood who tried jumping onto the phantom, but they were shot down before they got that far.

"Detonation in 10… 9… 8…"

"Uh, pilot, you might want to speed things up." Kyle said nervously.

"We are traveling as fast as the ship's engines would allow." The elite retorted.

"3… 2… 1… Remote detonation."

There was an earsplitting _BOOM_ and everyone was blinded by the piercing flash that followed. The cabin of the dropship started to rumble and shake and items started to fall from the storage compartments. And suddenly, the rumbling stopped, and was now replaced with a heat wave so intense, John was sweating in his environmentally controlled suit. Finally, as the phantom exited the quarantine barrier, John saw a massive crater glowing white-hot from the explosion. The area looked as if it were glassed.

Everything down there, every house, every car, everything in the blast radius was gone, melted down into molten slag. John saw two Separatist Assault cruisers coming down to finish the job.

"It's over." Selena breathed.

"Everyone alright over there?" Eragon spoke over the COMMs.

"Yeah, everyone's here." John replied. "Everyone's okay."

Suddenly, Eva laughed.

"What's so funny?" Matt asked, puzzled by her sudden outburst.

When she paused to take a breath she replied, "Best. Explosion. Ever!"

Soon everyone joined in with laughter. Even the pilot couldn't help but smile. Despite going through hell and back, the team laughed as if everything was alright in the world.

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**Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	25. Life and Love Goes On

_Damn, I haven't uploaded in quite a bit of time. Mighty sorry about that, things have been extremely hectic around here. I've been squeezing minutes in to work on this chapter for a long time now. But the wait is over, I present to you… CHAPTER 25!_

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John and Kyle dropped themselves onto the couch of their temporary home within seconds of entering the front door. Arya shook her head at them, but couldn't keep a grin off her face.

"Get up you two, you've got to help us unpack." She said with mock sternness.

"You know," John began with a weary drawl, "that's twice I've saved the Earth from near annihilation. The least I can get is a bit of rest."

"Well, you can rest after you've saved us from unpacking by ourselves." She said, motioning to Matt and Eva who were diligently carrying their belongings from the pelican to their designated rooms.

"Fine, fine." John dragged himself to his feet and headed to the air pad, giving her a peck on the lips on the way.

"If I get up, do I get a kiss too?" Kyle asked lamely.

The elf rolled her eyes, "No, now up."

The Spartan groaned in protest, but obeyed and gave her a wink instead. Arya smirked in response and followed him out. Since their original homes were destroyed in the explosion, the group was forced to make the old UNSC base their new one until they could find a suitable replacement and of course, most lost items were replaced. The UNSC had even remodeled and outfitted some rooms to make an adequate living environment. And now that the famous and celebrated Master Chief had saved the world yet again, they needed to stay out of the eyes of the public more than ever before, and what better place to do so than in a secure military base?

"Hey dad, have you seen my combat knife?" Matt asked.

John carried a large cardboard box labeled '117' that was filled with possessions, "Did you check the pelican?"

"Yes." He replied.

"Well then it's probably in one of these boxes."

Matt shrugged and walked towards his room. As he busied himself with unpacking his belongings, John didn't hear Arya come into his room. He suddenly flinched away and drew in a sharp breath when she laid her hand on his shoulder.

He relaxed when he saw who it was, "I didn't hear you walk in."

"I'm sorry if I startled you."

"No, it's alright." He continued to unpack, throwing various sheets and clothing onto his mattress haphazardly and placing his weapons on his worktable. Arya helped by neatly folding his clothing and storing then in the cabinet across the room.

Once they were finished, John threw the empty cardboard box into a corner of the room. "So, now what?"

Arya, sitting on the bed, cocked her head to one side and gave him an inquisitive look, "Whatever do you mean?"

"Well, for one," John said, moving closer to her, "we're not and probably won't do anything too important for a while… how are we going to occupy our time?"

The elf grinned devilishly, "I might have an idea."

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"Um, Eragon? I don't mean to decline your offer, but I am slightly uncomfortable of heights." Selena said nervously as she approached.

"Nonsense! I if not Saphira will catch you if you fall." The Rider, sitting atop Saphira patted his dragon's side affectionately. Eragon looked at her with pleading eyes.

She finally relented, "Okay."

Eragon's mouth pulled into a wide grin, "Excellent."

As she climbed up onto Saphira's saddle, she shivered as the biting wind blew through her shirt.

"Hold onto me." Eragon instructed. Selena obeyed and mentally prepared herself.

'_Fair winds today, it's perfect for flying.'_ Saphira commented. She unfolded and spread her large wings and dug her claws into the ground. With a powerful kick, the three were launched high into the sky. The elf let out a piercing shriek of terror as the air continued to whistle past them, blowing her hair into a frenzy of wild strands.

She squeezed her eyes shut and locked her teeth as adrenaline flowed through her. Only when the butterflies in her stomach eased, she dared to peek out from her eyelids. Then she slowly opened both eyes, taking in the sight before her. Selena gasped in surprise, they were flying high above the clouds, towards the sunrise that cast its golden light all around them, reflecting off of Saphira's scales and making them shimmer and sparkle like a coat made of diamonds. It was so different being able to watch a sunrise from the air than on the ground. She reached out her hand and brushed the soft cumulus clouds. She watched as gathering dewdrops on her hand fell away and new ones formed.

Eragon just watched as she caressed the misty clouds. When their eyes met, Selena flashed him a dazzling smile which he returned. He held her gaze for a second too long and looked away, his cheeks turning red while Saphira tried to hold back any comments. But Eragon could feel the thoughts buzzing in her mind, and that just made him blush deeper.

Saphira suddenly banked violently to the left, almost throwing off her passengers. Eragon took a firm hold on the handles on the saddle. "Saphira, what are you doing?"

When she replied, her thoughts were mischievous, _'Enough sightseeing. Time to have a little fun.'_

"What's going on?" Selena had to yell through the rushing wind. Her question was answered as the dragon pulled upward until they were flying straight upward.

"Saphira, don't…" Eragon warned. They continued to ascend.

'_Hold on.' _She thought to both of her riders. Both of them flattened themselves on her back and prepared themselves. They slowed to a brief stop, then Saphira arched her back so her nose was pointed downward, she tucked in her wings and let gravity take over. They dropped like a lead weight. Selena's heart leapt to the back of her throat as they accelerated through the air. The wind became a deafening roar and forced them to squint through the rushing air.

The ground sped up to meet them. Saphira slightly extended her wings and angled her body so that they began to slow down. When she fully snapped open her wings, they caught the air and made them slow further. Her muscles ached with fatigue, but the adrenaline numbed the soreness. Saphira glided over a patch of soft grass and landed with a muffled _thud._

Without crawling down, Selena just fell off the saddle onto the ground, dazed. Quickly, Eragon dismounted and came to her aid.

'_Much better than sightseeing, wouldn't you say?'_ Saphira thought settling down on a layer of dirt.

"What? You knew Selena's afraid of heights! Why'd you do that?" Eragon snapped.

'_Well, I was bored._' She huffed in reply.

The Rider was about to make a retort before Selena interjected. "No, Eragon, that was really fun. Thank you Saphira."

'_See? She appreciates the excitement I deliver. You're welcome by the way.'_

Eragon frowned; he hadn't realized that he'd spoken aloud.

Mistaking his expression, Selena spoke, "Truly Eragon, that was enjoyable. Thank you too."

It was then the Rider took into account how close together they were. He was kneeling next to her, their faces inches from each other. Very suddenly, he was met by the powerful urge to kiss her, to feel the contours of her lips brush against his.

But then Selena's face was replaced by Arya's. Eragon shook off his thoughts and turned away. Guilt and remorse seeped into his emotions.

"Eragon, what's wrong?" Selena sat up and rested her hand on his shoulder.

He gritted his teeth and returned his gaze to her marble blue eyes. "Nothing's wrong. Everything's fine." He knew the look in his eyes said otherwise.

Luckily, Selena did not decide to press the subject. She turned her stare skywards, "A sunrise is much more different from up there."

Now more at ease, Eragon laid down beside her. "Yes." He noticed that Saphira was unusually quiet.

'_Just giving you two some space is all.' _She replied, sensing his thoughts.

'_Thanks Saphira.'_

And the three of them watched the sun rise high into the sky.


End file.
